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THE 


TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


REVISED  AND  ENLARGED.  WITH  NEW 
ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  TABLES. 


A  BOOK  OF  INSTRUCTION 


TRACK    FOREMEN 


J.  KINDELAN,  R.  M. 

C..  M.  &  St.  P.  Ry. 


TI£IR,I>      KIJITIOIV. 


CHICAGO: 

ROADMASTKR   AND   FOREMAN,    PUBI.ISHBRS, 

91  and  93  South  Jefferson  St. 
1894. 


Entered  According  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  Year  1894, 

BY  J.  KINDELAN, 
In  the  office  ot  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


1894. 

Printing  and  Electrotyping  by 

B.  8.  WASSON  &  Co., 

CHICAGO. 


538 

CONTENTS.  Af  57' 


NEW  ROAD. 

CHAPTER  I. 

1,  New  Road  -2,  Track  Laying—  3,  Track-Laying  Machine— 
4,  Have  Tools  Beady—  5,  Track  Laying  Tools  and  Material— 
6,  Tie  Bedding—  7,  Omit  the  Tie  Bedding—  8,  Good  Men  at 
the  Front,  a  Surfacing  Gang—  9,  Locating  Joint  Ties— 
10,  Laying  the  Bails—  11,  Expansion  and  Contraction— 
12,  Heat  and  Cold,  Expansion  Table-H,  Transferring  Mate- 
rial— 14,  Mixed  Lengths  of  Bails—  15,  A  Short  Bail  for 
Curves—  16,  A  Tie  Under  Joints—  17,  When  Laid  in  a  Sag— 
18,  Change  of  Line—  19,  Good  Side  Tracks—  20,  To  Stop  Track 
from  Creeping—  21,  Making  Connections—  22,  Short  Pieces  of 
Bail—  23,  The  Steel  Car—  :4,  Lining  New  Track—  25,  Track 
Line—  26,  One  or  More  Steel  Cars—  27,  How  Constructed— 
28,  Track-Laying  Gage—  29,  Cattle  Guards—  3^,  List  of  Track 
Tools—  31,  Locating  Wagon  Crossings—  32,  Where  to  Spike 
the  Plank—  33,  A  Common  Plank  Wagon  Crossing—  34,  A 
Standard  Highway  Crossing—  35,  Laying  New  Steel—  36,  How 
to  Belay  Iron  or  Steel—  37,  Average  Life  of  Iron  and  Steel— 
38,  Even  or  Broken  Joints  —  39,  Heavier  Bails  Warded  —  Spik- 
ing and  Gaging,  Paragraphs  1  to  9  ............................. 

SPRING  TRACK  WORK. 

CHAPTEB  II. 

1,  Spring  Track  Work—  2,  Washouts—  3,  Bepairing  Track—  4,  On 
Long  Sections  Ballasted  With  Earth-  5,  Dressing  Mud  Track 
—6,  Lining  Old  Track—  7,  Bolt-  That  Are  Too  Tight—  8,  Be- 
moving  Old  Track  Bolts  —  9,  Changes  of  Temperature  —  10, 
Line  of  Bridges  —  11,  Repairing  Bridges  -12,  The  Ends  of 
Bridges—  13,  Ditching—  14,  Width  and  Shape  of  Ditches—  15, 
Slope  of  Ditches—  16,  Grade  of  Ditches—  17,  Cleaning  of 
Ditches-18,  A  Ditching  Bule—  19,  Track  Drainage-20,  Cul- 
verts and  Bridges—  21,  Grading  Cuts  ........................... 

SUMMER  TRACK  WORK. 

CHAPTEB  III. 

1,  Summer  Track  Work—  2,  Track  Ties—  3,  Putting  New  Ties 
Under  the  Track—  4,  Select  Your  Joint  Ties—  5,  Finish  as  YOB 
Go—  6,  Distributing  New  Ties—  7,  Make  the  Worst  Places 


379425 


IV  CONTENTS. 

Safe  First— 8.  Ties  Under  Joints— 9,  Estimating  New  Ties 
for  Repairs— 10,  Counting  the  Bad  Ties— 11,  Wide  Spaces -12, 
Remove  Bad  Ties  When  Ballasting— 13,  Twisted  Ties— 14, 
Ties  at  Highway  Crossings— 15,  Remove  the  Bark— 16,  Old 
Ties— 17,  Average  Life  of  Ties— 18,  Tie  Account  for  a  Year— 
19,  Cutting  Weeds— 20,  Weeds  on  Heavy  Grades -21,  To 
Lessen  Weed  Cutting. 

1,  Ballast— 2,  Surface  Levels— 3,  Before  Ballasting  Track— 4, 
When  to  Ballast— 5,  Ballasting— 6,  Raising  Track— 7,  Raise 
Both  Sides— 8,  Solid  Centers— 9,  High  Places— 10,  Uniform 
Tamping— 11,  Dressing  Ballasted  Track— 12,  A  Day's  Work— 
13,  Refuse  Ballast  in  Cuts  14,  Have  the  Track  Ready— 15, 
High  Raising— 16,  Gravel  Required  to  Ballast  a  Mile  of 
Track— 17,  Level  Track  in  Yards— 18,  How  to  Level  Yard 
Tracks— 19,  Gravel  Pits— 20,  Gravel  vs.  Weeds 67—101 

FALL  TRACK  WORK. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

1,  Fall  Track  Work— 2,  Cleaning  the  Right  of  Way— 3,  Raising 
Up  Sags  in  Track  Surface— 4,  Narrow  Embankments — 5,  Haul 
Out  Material  from  Cuts— 6,  To  Remedy  Too  Wide  an  Open- 
ing at  the  Joints. 

7,  Building  Fences— 8,  Board  Fences— 9,  Fence  Tables— 10, 

Weightlof  Nails-ll,  Weight  of  Fence  Wire-12,  a  Day's  Labor.  102— 118 

WINTER  TRACK  WORK. 

CHAPTER  V. 

1,  Winter  Track  Work— 2,  Shimming  Track— 3,  Heaved  Bridges 
and  Culverts— 4,  Report  Amount  of  Snow— 5,  Snow  on  Side 
Tracks— 6,  Snow  in  Cuts— 7,  Flanging  Track— 8,  Opening 
Ditches  and  Culverts— 9,  Snow  Walls— 10,  Snow  Fences. 

1 ,  Bucking  Snow — 2,  Two  Locomotives — 3,  A  Piece  of  Steam 

Hose— 4,  Length  of  Runs— 5,  Preparing  Dri  f ts 119—133 

FROGS  AND  SWITCHES. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

1,  Turnouts— 2,  Split  or  Point  Switches— 3,  Laying  Switches— 
4,  To  Change  a  Stub  to  a  Split  Switch— 5,  Description  of 
Table  1,  for  "Stub  Leads"— 6,  Description  of  Table  2,  for 
"Point  Leads" — 7,  Frogs — 8,  Laying  Frogs  in  Track  -  9,  Length 
Of  Frogs— 10,  Guard  Rails— 11,  If  There  Is  No  Standard— 12, 
Switch  Timbers— 13,  To  Cut  Switch  Ties  the  Proper  Length 
—14,  Tamping  Switch  Ties— 15,  Putting  in  Three  Throw 
Switches— 16,  Derailing  Switches— 17.  Turnout  from  Curves 
—18,  To  Reach  a  Side  Track  with  a  Reverse  Curve  Behind  the 
Frog— 19,  Round  House  Tracks— 20,  Another  Method— 21, 
Cross-over  Tracks— 22,  Table  of  Distances  Between  Frog 
Points  in  Cross-over  Tracks— 23.  Parallel  Tracks— 24,  How  to 
Ascertain  the  Kind  of  Frog  Needed— 25,  Spur  Tracks 134—170 


CONTENTS.  V 

CURVED  TRACK. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

1,  Radii,  Ordinates,  Tangent  an<l  Cord  Deflections,  (Table  3)— 2, 
To  Lay  Out  a  Curve  by  the  Eye— 3,  To  Find  the  Radius  of  a 
Curve  Required  to  iteach  Any  Desired  Object,  the  Point  of 
Curve  Being  Known— 4,  Method  of  Laying  a  Spur  Track 
Curve— o,  Three  Methods  of  Finding  (he  Difference  in 
Length  Between  the  Inner  and  Outer  Rails  of  a  Curve— 6, 
Broken  or  Staggered  Joints  on  Curves.. 

7,  Elevation  of  Curves— 8,  Elevate  for  the  Greatest  Speed— 9, 
Sharp  Curves  and  Elevation— 10,  When  Speed  of  Trains  Does 
Not  Exceed  15  Miles  per  Hour— 11,  Tb,e  Curve  on  Passing 
Tracks— 12,  Table  of  Ordinates— 13,  How  to  Apply  It— 14, 
Compound  Curves — 15,  Frequent  Changes— 16,  Curve  Track 
Gasres— 17,  Laying  the  Rails  on  Curves— 18,  To  Curve  a  Rail 
Properly— 19,  The  Curve  Approach— 20,  Printed  Information 
for  Foremen — 21,  Guard  Rails  on  Curves — 22,  Between  Re- 
verse Curves— 23,  Putting  the  Elevation  in  Curves. 
24,  Rules  for  Lining  Curves — 25,  Effect  of  Locomotives  and  Car 
Wheels  on  Track— 26,  Elevation  Balance  -  27,  Liability  of  . 
Derailment— 28.  Reduced  Speed— 29,  A  Curve  in  a  Sag— 30. 
Care  of  Curves— 31,  Lining  Curves— 32,  Straight  Rails  in 
Curves— 33,  Tracklaying  Where  Curves  Are  Frequent— 34, 
Foremen  Should  Know  the  Degree— 35,  A  Good  Curve— 36, 
Dangerous  Cars  on  Curves 171—204 

GENERAL  INSTRUCTIONS. 

CHAPTER    Vin, 

1,  Boarding  Accommodations — 2,  Discharges — 3,  Ride  Over  Your 
Section  on  the  Engine — 4,  Following  Trains — 6,  Accidents — 6, 
Go  Over  the  Track— 7,  Raise  Up  the  Wires— 8,  Extremes  of 
Temperature— 9,  Track  Jacks— 10,  The  Spirit  Level— 11,  Sur- 
face Bent  Rails— 12,  Low  Joints— 13,  Examining  Track— H, 
Scarcity  of  Repair  Rails— 15,  Changing  Battered  Rails— 16, 
Extra  Work— 17,  Train  Accidents— 18,  At  Wrecks— 19, 
Water  Stations— 20,  Trespassers— 21,  Protect  Fences— 22, 
Rails  of  Different  Helghts-23,  Expansion  Blocks— 24, 
Switch  Stands— 25,  Absent  from  Duty— 26,  Emergency  Rails 
—27,  Extra  Men— 28,  A  Prompt  Reply— 29,  Get  Acquainted 
with  Your  Section— 30,  The  Proper  Way— 31,  Working  New 
Men— 32,  Clear  Water  Passages— 33,  Neat  Station  Grounds— 
34,  Expansion  at  Switches— 35,  Look  Over  the  Yard— 36,  Lips 
on  Stub  Switches— 37,  Bent  Switch  Rails— 38,  The  Moving 
Rails  of  Stub  Switches-39,  Battered  Switch  Rails— 40,  To 
Straighten  Rails  in  Track— 41,  Ties  Under  Moving  Rails-42, 
Bent  Splices— 43,  Punch  or  Bore  Rails— 44,  Lining  Dis- 
connected Track— 45,  Ordering  Tools  or  Material— 46, 
Keep  Men's  Time  Correct— 47,  Duplicate  Time  Books 
-48,  Track  Material  Account  — 49,  Printed  Forms— 60, 


VI  CONTENTS. 

Section  Foremen's  Reports— 61,  Shipping  Track  Tools— 52, 
Distance  to  Set  Ont  Danger  Signals— 53,  Always  Keep  Sig- 
nals with  You— 54,  Time  Cards  and  Bales— 65,  Note  of  Flags 
— 56,  Stop  Signals — 57,  Look  Onr  for  Signals — 58,  Obstructing 
the  Track— 69,  Replace  Signals— 60,  Injured  Signals— 61,  Com- 
plying with  the  Bales— 62,  Location  of  Whistling  Post  and 
Signs— 63,  Train's  Disrespect  of  Danger  Signals— 64,  Look 
Out  lor  Trains— 65,  Always  Be  Prepared— 66,  Hand  Car  and 
Tool  House— 67,  Telegraph  Office  Reports — 68,  Removing 
Hand  Cars  from  Crossings— 69,  Throwing  Switches — 70,  Leav- 
ing Hand  Cars  on  Track — 71,  Loaning  Tools,  Cars,  etc. — 72, 
Different  Varieties  of  Ties— 73,  Care  of  Tools— 74,  Hand 
Cars,  etc.— 75,  Shovels1- 76,  Cold  Chisels— 77,  Use  of  Claw 
Bars— 78,  Lining  Bars— 79,  Bail  Punches— 80,  The  Place  for 
Tools— 81,  Cutting  Steel— 82,  The  Ballast  in  Yards— 83,  Exe- 
cute Promptly— 84,  Protect  Against  Fires— 85,  The  Curving 
Hook— 86,  Report  Stock  Killed— 87,  Damage  by  Fire— 88,  Be 
Careful  of  Material-89,  Pick  Up  Scattered  Material— 90,  Do 
First  What  Needs  to  B«  Done— 91,  How  to  Do  Work— 92, 
Foremen  on  Duty— 98,  Adopt  the  Best  Method 205—262 

WRECKING. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

1,  Wrecking— 2,  On  the  Ground— 3,  To  Square  a  Car  Truck— 4. 
When  a  Center  Pin  Cannot  Be  Used— 5,  Without  an  Engine 
—6, Cars  Off  on  Ties-7,  Oil  the  Rail-8,  Broken  Switches— 
9,  Car  Trucks  in  the  Ditch— 10,  To  Connect  Broken  Chains— 
11,  To  Turn  a  Car  Truck  on  Soft  Ground— 12,  To  Put  a 
Wrecked  Gravel  Plow  Back  on  Cara— 13,  Sliding  a  Car  on  a 
Tie— 14,  Loaded  Wrecked  Cars— 15,  Broken  Center  Pins— 16, 
Pulling  on  a  Chain  or  Rope— 17,  A  Dead  Man— 18,  Wrecked 
Engines— 19,  How  to  Work  au  a  Wreck 253—261 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

CHAPTER  X. 

1,  Work  Train  Service— 2,  To  Whom  Responsible— 3,  Track  In- 
spection— 4,  Longer  Rails — 5,  Hints  to  Section  Foremen — 
6,  Section  Record— 7,  Average  Day's  Work  for  One  Man— 8, 
Track  Bolts— 9,  Spikes-10,  Number  of  Spikes-11,  Tons  of 
Rails  Required  for  One  Mile  of  Track— 12,  Number  of  Cross 
Ties  Required  for  Each  Mile  of  Track— 13,  Length  of  Rail 
and  Number  of  Joints,  Splices,  and  Bolts,  lor  Each  Mile  of 
Track— 14,  Weight  per  Yard,  per  30  Foot  Rail,  and  Tons  per 
Mile— 15,  Lumber  Table— 16,  Standards  of  Weights  and  Meas- 
ures—17,  Speed  Table  for  Trains— 18,  Table  of  Wages  on  a 
Basis  of  10  Hours  per  Pay— 19,  Table  of  Wages,  1  Cent  to 
$2  for  Any  Part  of  30  Days 262—281 


PREFACE. 

1  can  no  better  introduce  the  Third  Edition  of  THE 
TRACKMAN'S  HELPER  to  the  reader,  than  with  the 
opening  lines  of  my  first  preface. 

The  main  object  of  the  author  in  writing  this  book 
is.  through  its  agency,  to  assist  young  or  inexperi- 
enced men  who  work  on  track  repairs  or  construction, 
to  become  the  equals  of  track  foremen  who  have  had 
more  experience  and  a  wider  field  to  work  in,  and 
thereby  make  the  track  service  more  efficient,  and 
save  Headmasters  and  other  officers  from  the  neces- 
sity of  continually  instructing  inexperienced  men  on 
every  subject  relating  to  track  work. 

That  there  is  a  necessity  existing  for  such  a  book 
is  admitted  by  every  good  trackman,  and  I  have  re- 
ceived many  letters  from  prominent  Trackmen,  and 
other  railroad  officers  throughout  the  United  States, 
who  all  agree  in  the  opinion  expressed,  that  all 
trackmen  should  be  supplied  with  a  book  of  instruc- 
tions, which  would  advance  their  knowledge  of  theo- 
retical and  practical  details  of  Construction  and  Track 
Maintenance  quicker  than  such  knowledge  can  be 
gained  by  actual  experience.  This  would  fit  them  for 
doing  all  work  in  a  practical  manner,  with  less  incon- 
venience to  themselves  and  in  a  way  that  would  be 
more  satisfactory  to  the  company  by  preventing  waste 
or  loss  which  is  common  when  the  men  are  ignorant 
of  their  duties.  The  time  of  Headmasters,  Supervis- 


viii  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

ors,  and  others,  is  often  so  fully  taken  up  with  other 
duties  that  they  seldom  have  time  or  opportunity  to 
give  full  instructions  to  all  the  men  working  under 
them  in  a  manner  that  would  insure  their  thorough 
efficiency  as  good  reliable  trackmen. 

Of  course,  after  a  certain  amount  of  time  has 
elapsed  since  a  man  has  entered  the  service,  his  natu- 
ral aptitude  for  gathering  knowledge  along  with  what 
instructions  he  receives,  will  make  him  a  good  aver- 
age trackman,  and  familiarize  him  with  the  rules 
of  the  road  and  his  other  duties,  but  unless  he  has  had 
the  benefit  of  a  wide  field  of  experience  and  a  very 
thorough  training,  he  seldom  becomes  so  expert  as  to 
be  able  to  do  in  a  proper  manner  many  kinds  of  work 
with  which  he  is  unacquainted,  but  which  he  may  be 
called  upon  to  do  at  any  time. 

To  help  fill  this  want  of  the  Trackman,  the  writer 
published  the  first  edition  of  this  book,  which  I  hope 
has  proved  to  be  what  its  name  indicates,  a  Helper  for 
Trackmen. 

I  fully  realized  how  difficult  a  task  it  would  be  to 
write  a  book  which  would  be  accepted  by  even  a  ma- 
jority of  the  Trackmen  of  the  country,  but  to  accom- 
plish anything,  a  beginning  must  be  made,  and  as  I 
had  a  practical  education,  from  the  shovel  up,  I 
thought  I  could  offer  something  that  would  at  least 
assist  the  ambitious  young  trackman  seeking  knowl- 
edge of  his  profession.  I  deemed  it  my  duty  also  to 
put  into  book  form  what  little  of  practical  knowledge 
I  possessed,  if  for  no  other  reasons,  than  to  show  the 
importance  of  the  Track,  in  relation  to  the  other  Rail- 
road Departments,  and  assist  in  bringing  more  uni- 
formity into  the  methods  of  doing  trackwork  on  the 
different  railroads. 


PREFACE.  IX 

The  book  was  not  without  its  share  of  errors  and 
shortcomings,  but  it  has  been  well  received  by  the 
Trackmen  of  the  country.  In  fact,  it  had  a  much 
bettc:  reception  than  the  writer  had  anticipated, 
and  the  many  letters  I  have  received  from  Railway 
Officers  and  Roadmasters,  commenting  favorably  on 
the  work,  have  encouraged  me  to  publish  this  Third 
Edition  and  to  add  to  the  old  work  as  much  valuable 
matter  as  was  possible,  which  would  be  consistent 
with  present  day  practice. 

Before  closing  I  wish  to  make  a  few  remarks  about 
the  practical  training  of  Trackmen.  It  is  of  the  great- 
est importance  that  railroad  companies  employ  none 
but  the  best  and  most  expert  trackmen  for  Roadmas- 
ters, Supervisors  or  Foremen,  because  on  these  men 
depends  in  a  great  measure  the  successful  operation 
of  the  road.  The  track  and  roadway  being  the  most 
important  and  costly  department  to  maintain,  it  offers 
superior  advantages  for  these  men  to  display  what 
talents  they  possess  in  economically  keeping  up  a  first 
class  track,  and  educating  the  laborers  to  perform 
their  duties  in  a  thorough,  practical  manner  without 
waste  or  loss  to  the  company,  and  with  the  greatest 
degree  of  safety  to  the  trainmen  and  the  public. 

I  believe  the  best  way  to  produce  good,  practical 
trackmen,  is  by  educating  them  along  with  what 
knowledge  they  possess,  or  have  gathered  from  expe- 
rience, and  I  believe  the  best  aid  to  accomplish  this 
end  would  be  the  distribution  among  the  men  of  in- 
structions in  book  form,  covering  all  the  theoretical 
and  practical  details  of  their  work  according  to  the 
best  methods  now  in  practice.  This  would  cost  the 


x  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

companies  but  a  small  amount  separately  and  the  re- 
sults would  repay  them  many  fold. 

The  history  of  track  maintenance  from  the  begin- 
ning up  to  the  present  date,  shows  a  state  of  affairs 
existing  which  would  not  be  tolerated  in  any  other 
business.  With  only  a  few  exceptions,  little  if  any 
effort  has  been  made  by  the  railroad  companies  to  aid 
their  men  to  gain  a  technical  as  well  as  a  practical 
knowledge  of  their  profession ;  in  fact  an  entirely  op- 
posite course  has  been  pursued  in  most  cases. 

The  Civil  Engineers  and  such  officers  as  have 
charge  of  the  laying  out,  or  direction  of  construction 
work,  have  been  too  widely  separated  from  those  in 
charge  of  the  practical  end  of  the  work,  and  as  a  con- 
sequence, the  Trackman  has  to  siiift  for  himself  and 
pick  up  his  knowledge  by  a  slow  and  tedious  process, 
which  often  results  in  great  injury  to  the  company 
which  employs  him;  and  it  often  happens  that  the 
men  who  hold  a  superior  position  above  him,  know 
so  little  about  the  details  of  his  work  that  they  are 
not  qualified  to  correct  his  errors.  It  cannot  be 
denied  that  to  construct  and  properly  maintain  a  first 
class  track,  is  both  a  science  and  a  trade  that  requires 
its  share  of  energy,  skill,  intelligence  and  ability  in 
just  as  great  a  degree  as  any  other  important  profes- 
sion, but  owing  to  the  rapidity  with  which  new  con- 
struction has  been  carried  on  in  this  country,  together 
with  the  very  limited  opportunities  which  some  Track- 
men have  for  gaining  a  thorough  knowledge  of  their 
business  there  are  many  now  working  on  railroads 
who  could  not  be  numbered  in  the  first  class.  It 
would  be  well,  I  think,  if  the  different  railroad  com- 
panies attached  more  importance  to  the  necessity 


PEEPACE.  XI 

which  exists  for  adopting  some  system  of  educating 
their  Trackmen  to  a  higher  standard  of  excellence. 

If  by  the  publication  of  this  book  I  have  laid  one 
more  stone  in  the  arch  which  would  span  the  gulf  of 
prejudice  and  support  all  good  Trackmen  in  a  com- 
mon effort  for  the  welfare  of  each  other,  and  the 
upbuilding  of  their  profession,  I  have  accomplished 
enough,  and  I  sincerly  hope  that  what  little  I  have 
added  to  the  track  literature  now  in  existence  may 
only  be  the  beginning  of  something  better  and  more 
worthy. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  THIRD  edition  of  THE 
TRACKMAN'S  HELPER  I  have  been  ably  aided  by  H.  W. 
Seib,  C.  E.,  Mitchell,  S.  D.,  and  also  assisted  by  T 
H.  Curtis,  C.  E.,  of  New  Haven,  Connecticut,  and  D 
Sweeney,  R.  M.,  of  the  C.  R.  I.  &  P.  Ry.,  Belleville, 
Kansas. 


NEW    ROAD. 
CHAPTER    L 

1,  New  Road— 2,  Track  Laying— 3,  Track-Laying  Machine— 4,  Have  Tools 
Ready— 5,  Track  Laying  Tools  and  Material— 6,  Tie  Bedding— 7,  Omit 
the  Tie  Bedding— 8,  Good  Men  at  the  Front,  a  Surfacing  Gang— 9, 
Locating  Joint  Ties — 10,  Laying  the  Rails — 11,  Expansion  and  Contrac- 
tion—12,  Heat  and  Cold,  Expansion  Table  -13,  Transferring  Material— 
14,  Mixed  Lengths  of  Rails— 15,  A  Short  Rail  for  Curves— 16,  A  Tie  Un- 
der Joints— 17,  When  Laid  in  a  Sag— 18,  Change  of  Line— 19,  Good 
Side  Tracks— 20,  To  Stop  Track  from  Creeping— 21,  Making  Connec 
tions— 22,  Short  Pieces  of  Rail— 23,  The  Steel  Car— 24,  Lining  New 
Track— 25,  Track  Line— 26,  One  or  More  Steel  Cars— S7,  How  Con- 
structed—28,  Track-Laying  Gage— 29,  Cattle  Guards— 30,  List  of  Track 
Tools— 31,  Locating  Wagon  Crossings— 32,  Where  to  Spike  the  Plank— 33, 
A  Common  Plank  Wagon  Crossing— 34,  A  Standard  Highway  Crossing 
—35,  Laying  New  Steel— 36,  How  to  Relay  Iron  or  Steel— 37,  Average  Life 
of  Iron  and  Steel-38,  Even  or  Broken  Joints— 39,  Heavier  Rails  Wanted 
—Spiking  and  Gaging,  Paragraphs  1  to  9. 

1.  A  good  railroad  should  be  complete  in  all  re- 
spects; track  should  be  full  bolted,  full  spiked,  well 
ballasted,  surfaced,    lined,  and  gaged,   and   nothing 
omitted  in  its  construction   which   would   contribute 
toward  making  it  a  perfect  and  safe  track.     A  poor 
track  no  more  deserves  to  be  called  a  railroad  than  a 
shanty  does  to  be  called  a  house,  and  Trackmen  who 
are  in  the  habit  of  doing  poor  work  with   the   means 
at  hand  to  do  better,   never  learn  how  to  do  good 
work. 

TRACK   LAYING. 

2.  The  best  dirt  ballasted  track  can  be  made  when 
laying  it,  by  bedding  the  ties  to  a  level  surface  on  top 


2  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

before  putting  on  the  rails.  To  lay  track  this  way, 
the  company's  Engineers  must  first  set  level  stakes 
by  which  to  bed  the  ties,  and  these  stakes  should  be 
close  enough  together  for  a  sixteen  foot  straight  edge 
to  reach  from  one  stake  to  the  next.  To  have  the  En- 
gineer set  level  stakes  so  close  together  that  a  straight 
edge  will  reach  from  one  stake  to  the  other  is  con- 
trary to  the  common  practice,  but  it  is  a  much  better 
way  in  so  much  that  the  increased  labor  of  the  En- 
gineer is  fully  compensated  for  in  having  the  whole 
tie  bedding  gang  under  the  control  of  one  Foreman. 
This  method  also  does  away  with  the  necessity  of  us- 
ing sight  boards  and  dividing  up  the  men  to  sight  in 
the  lead  ties  between  level  stakes  fifty  or  one  hundred 
feet  apart.  The  work  is  also  more  accurate  when 
finished,  if  the  straight  edge  can  reach  a  level  given 
with  the  Engineer's  instrument,  than  it  would  be,  if 
the  levels  were  sighted  in  by  the  average  track 
laborer. 

TRACK-LAYING   MACHINES. 

3.  Track-laying  machines  have  been  used  to  some 
extent  when  building  extensions  on  some  of  the  rail- 
roads. When  track  is  laid  with  them  the  ties  and 
rails  are  run  out  along  the  material  cars  to  the  front, 
on  rollers  in  some  cases,  and  in  others  an  endless  belt 
carries  out  the  material  along  the  sides  of  the  cars. 
Only  one  or  two  rails  of  track  are  laid  at  a  time,  and 
partly  spiked,  then  the  train  moves  up  and  the  same 
operation  is  performed  again.  Economy  in  the  force 
of  men  necessary  to  lay  track  with  these  machines, 
together  with  the  saving  effected  by  not  having  to 
haul  the  ties  by  team  to  the  front,  are  the  chief  claims 


NEW    ROAD.  O 

put  forward  in  their  favor.  But  the  amount  of  track 
laid  each  day  must  always  be  limited  to  what  can  be 
bolted  and  spiked  safe  for  trains,  between  the  forward 
moves  of  the  machine,  seldom  exceeding  a  mile  and 
a  half  in  a  day,  and  oftener  one-third  less.  In  a  good 
country  to  lay  track  where  ties  can  be  hauled  ahead 
by  team,  and  men  are  plenty,  much  better  results  can 
be  obtained  without  track-laying  machines,  if  it  is 
desired  to  rush  the  track  laying. 

HAVE  TOOLS   BEADY. 

4.  Every  good  Trackman  knows  the  tools  which 
his  men  should  use,  and  before  starting  out  to  lay 
track  on  a  new  road  the  Boss  Tracklayer  should  make 
requisition  for  all  the  necessary  tools.  These  tools 
should  all  be  loaded  into  a  car  and  shipped  direct  to 
the  point  where  work  is  to  be  commenced.  Everything 
should  be  in  readiness  to  make  a  good  beginning,  be- 
fore the  men  are  brought  upon  the  ground.  Many 
awkward  and  serious  delays  have  been  caused  by  the 
Foreman  in  charge  neglecting  to  see  to  the  arrange- 
ments in  time  for  working  his  men  properly. 


5. 


TRACK-LAYING   TOOLS   AND   MATERIAL 


Hand  Cars 

1 

Adze  Handles. 

6 

Steel  Cars  

3 

Axe  Handles  

6 

Push  Cars  

....      2 

Maul  Handles  

.     36 

Shovels,  R.  R  
Picks 

.  .  .  .  150 
50 

Red  Flags  
Sledges,  16  Ibs.  each. 

.     12 
3 

Lining  Bars  
Claw  Bars 

....     12 
12 

Grind  Stones  
Track  Wrenches 

.       1 
24 

Tamping  Bars  
Nippinf  Bars 

.  ...     12 
24 

Iron  Tongs,   pairs  
Rail  Forks 

.       3 
6 

Cold  Chisels  
Rail  Punches. 

.  .  .  .     24 
6 

Expansion  Shims  
Switch  Locks 

.  200 
6 

Chopping  Axes  

6 

Rail  Drills  

2 

Hand  Axes.  .  . 

6 

Toroedoes.  dozens.    . 

4 

THE  TRACKMAN  S  HELPER. 


Spiking  Hammers  

42 

Track  Jacks  

4 

Bush  Scythes  and  Snaths, 

Rail  Benders  

2 

each  

3 

Covered  Water  Barrels. 

2 

Hand  Saws  

6 

Track  Levers  

•2 

Adzes  

6 

Chalk  Lines  

2 

Track  Gages  

12 

Files  

6 

Spirit  Levels  

6 

Crosscut  Saws  

2 

Tape  Lines  

6 

Curving   Hooks  

2 

Nail  Hammers  

3 

Post-hole  Diggers  

•2 

Monkey  Wrenches  

3 

1£  inch  rope  300  feet 

Lanterns,  Red  

3 

Tie  Poles,  30  feet  long.  . 

2 

Lanterns,  White  

3 

Tie  Line,  1,000  feet  lung. 

1 

Water  Pails  

6 

Set  Double  Harness  

1 

Tin  Dippers  

6 

Set  Single  Harness-  

1 

Oil  Cans  

2 

Set   Double   and    Single 

Oilers  

3 

Trees  

1 

Gallons   of  Oil  

2 

Wagons  

1 

Nails  1  keg  10  penny 

Scrapers  

1 

Nails  1  keg  20,  40, 

60 

Horses  or  Mules.    . 

2 

Pick  Handles  

24   Tool  Boxes  

2 

The  above  list  of  tools  will  do  to  supply  an  aver- 
age gang  of  100  Tracklayers  with  a  surplus  to  equip 
extra  men  if  required,  or  replace  tools  out  of  repair 
or  broken,  until  supplies  ordered  can  be  gotten  to  the 
front.  The  accommodations  for  tracklaying  should  be 
about  as  follows: 

One  supply  and  office  car. 

One  kitchen  car. 

Two  dining  cars. 

Three  sleeping  cars. 

Where  track  laying  is  done  at  a  long  distance  from 
the  base  of  supplies  a  blacksmith  with  forge  and 
tools  should  accompany  the  outfit. 

TIE  BEDDING. 

6.  The  work  of  tie  bedding  consists  in  placing  a 
straight  edge  in  a  level  position  over  the  top  of  loose 
ties  lying  on  the  grade,  and  bringing  up  each  tie  to  a 


NEW    ROAD.  5 

uniform  surface  under  the  straight  edge,  just  as  it 
should  lie  in  track  under  the  rails.  Thin  ties  should 
have  dirt  or  ballast  thrown  under  them  and  be  settled 
to  the  correct  level.  The  bed  under  thick  ties  should 
be  dug  out  and  the  dirt  removed  sufficiently  to  bring 
the  tie  down  to  the  level  of  the  other  ties.  One 
straight  edge  should  be  provided  for  every  two 
men  of  the  tie  bedding  gang.  If  there  are  plenty  of 
men  in  the  tie  bedding  crew  they  can  do  most  of  the 
filling  between  the  ties,  this  part  of  the  work  receiv- 
ing attention  in  proportion  to  the  speed  with  which 
the  rails  are  laid.  The  surfacing  crew  gives  the  fin- 
ishing touches  after  the  track  is  laid.  If  the  tie  bed- 
ding is  done  properly,  the  track  will  be  in  good  con- 
dition every  night  for  trains  to  run  over  it,  as  far  as 
finished,  without  any  danger  of  injuring  the  rails,  and 
a  much  smaller  crew  is  required  to  surface  behind 
the  Tracklayers.  When  it  is  intended  to  ballast  the 
track  with  dirt  from  the  embankment,  the  ties  should 
always  be  bedded  before  laying  the  rails,  for  the  rea- 
son that  the  grade  is  seldom  or  never  a  smooth  sur- 
face to  receive  the  ties ;  moreover,  the  ties,  no  matter 
how  well  selected,  are  of  different  thickness,  and  it  is 
well  known  that  light  iron  or  steel  rails,  laid  on  loose 
ties  on  a  poor  grade,  will  be  kinked  and  damaged  con- 
siderably by  trains  running  over  the  track  before  it  is 
surfaced  up  smooth  and  level.  Another  good  point 
in  favor  of  tie  bedding  is  that  the  rails  can  be  laid 
much  faster  than  over  loose  ties  and  the  spiking  can 
be  done  better  and  with  less  labor. 

OMIT  THE  TIE  BEDDING. 

7.     If  it  is  intended  to  ballast  track  with  cinders, 


6  IHE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

gravel  or  stone,  as  fast  as  it  is  laid,  the  tie  bedding 
should  be  omitted  in  order  to  have  the  full  width  of 
the  grade  to  deposit  the  ballast  upon,  but  at  the  same 
time  the  ballasting  should  be  kept  finished  up  close 
behind  the  Tracklayers  to  obviate  the  danger  of 
spoiling  rails. 

Very  few  Trackmen  realize  the  necessity  or  make 
much  effort  to  protect  the  rails  from  being  kinked  or 
surface  bent,  when  laying  track,  and  a  large  part  of 
new  track  throughout  the  United  States  bears  evi- 
dence of  their  carelessness. 

All  railroad  companies  are  more  liberal  when  con- 
structing than  they  are  when  the  road  is  in  operation, 
and  if  a  company  lays  their  own  track  the  man  in 
charge  of  the  work  should  see  that  it  is  done  well, 
even  if  the  cost  is  greater.  It  pays  in  the  end. 
When  the  work  of  constructing  a  railroad  is  poorly 
done  it  is  never  finished  afterwards. 

GOOD  MEN  AT  THE    FRONT. 

8.  When  building  new  road  the  man  in  charge  of 
the  track  laying  should  endeavor  to  secure  good  sober 
men  to  work  at  spiking  and  laying  the  rails,  because 
on  the  front  men,  in  a  great  measure,  depends  the 
amount  of  track  laid  every  day.  The  Spikers  and 
Ironmen  should  be  paid  better  wages  than  the  other 
men,  not  alone  on  account  of  the  work,  but  to  encour- 
age them  to  do  their  best,  and  also,  that  you  may  se- 
cure picked  men  to  fill  their  places  whenever  needed. 
All  the  men  at  tracklaying  should  be  well  organized; 
each  man  should  have  his  particular  work  to  perform. 
The  men  should  not  be  allowed  to  work  promiscously, 
changing  from  one  place  to  another.  One  Foreman 


NEW  ROAD.  7 

should  have  charge  of  the  Ironmen,  another  of  the 
Spikers,  and  a  third  of  the  Surfacing  Crew,  all  sub- 
ject to  the  Boss  Tracklayer.  It  is  poor  economy  to 
try  to  lay  track  without  any  of  the  three  foremen 
mentioned,  as  is  sometimes  done,  because,  although 
a  good  tracklayer  may  be  able  to  oversee  a  consider- 
able number  of  men,  he  cannot  look  after  the  details 
of  the  work  in  its  different  branches,  and  give  it  the 
required  attention,  without  the  assistance  of  these 
foremen  except  where  the  work  is  done  with  a  small 
gang  of  men. 

A    SURFACING   GANG. 

When  laying  track  it  is  always  best  to  keep  at  least 
a  small  surfacing  crew  behind  to  recruit  from,  if  you 
are  short  of  men  at  the  front,  and  any  extra  men  at 
the  front  should  be  put  to  surfacing. 

The  amount  of  supplies  taken  out  each  day  should 
be  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  men  you  are  work- 
ing, and  only  enough  should  be  taken  out  at  one  time 
for  a  good  half  day's  work,  because  much  more  than 
that  amount  would  only  be  in  the  way  and  delay  the 
work.  Where  the  ties  for  a  new  track  are  hauled  out 
along  the  grade  by  teams  it  is  always  best  to  let  the 
work  out  by  contract.  This  will  save  the  necessity 
of  hiring  and  watching  the  teamsters  and  insure  the 
work  being  done  without  delay. 

LOCATING   JOINT   TIES. 

9.  Every  Tracklayer  should  have  two  men  to  carry 
a  measuring  pole  the  correct  length  of  a  rail  for  locat- 
ing the  joint  ties,  ahead  of  the  rails.  These  men 
should  also  space  the  ties  on  each  side  of  the  joint 
wherever  necessary.  They  could  also  adze  twisted 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

ties  and  bed  down  ties  which  were  too  high.  The 
joint  ties  should  not  be  located  very  far  ahead  of  the 
rails,  because  there  is  liable  to  be  variation  in  the 
distances,  and  the  measurements  taken  with  the  pole 
should  be  corrected  from  the  end  of  the  rails  occa- 
sionally. The  track  laying  is  delayed  and  the  ties 
are  seldom  as  well  spaced  when  this  work  is  left  to 
the  spikers. 

LAYING   THE   RAILS. 

10.  A  Construction  Foreman  should  see  that  no 
new  rails  be  laid  in  a  new  track  before  all  kinks  and 
crooked  places  in  the  rails  are  straightened.     It  is  a 
common  fault  of  Track  Foremen  when  in  a  hurry  to 
throw  down  all  iron  or  steel  just  as  it  comes  to  the 
front,  regardless  of  any  kinks  that  may  have  been  put 
in  the  rails  while  in  transit,  or  in  dumping  them  off 
cars.     Many  light  weight  rails  are  irreparably  dam- 
aged in  this  way,  and  after  such  rails  are  put  in  a 
track  they  are  seldom,  if  ever,  made  perfect  again,  as 
Section   Foremen  very   seldom   have   the   necessary 
amount  of  help,  or  spare  time  to  do  what  could  have 
been  done  in  a  very  short  time  before  the  rails  were 
laid. 

EXPANSION   AND    CONTRACTION. 

11.  Track  Foremen,  when  laying  iron  or  steel  rails, 
should  be  very  particular  to  give  the  proper  space  at 
the   joints  for  expansion.     Avoid  leaving  the  joints 
too  close  in  cold  weather,  or  too  much  open  in  warm 
weather,  either  of  which  causes  much  trouble  after- 
wards. 

As  soon  as  the  weather  becomes  warm,  rails  which 
were  laid  in  the  track  with  very  close  joints,  during 


NEW    ROAD.  9 

colder  weather,  begin  to  expand  and  increase  in  length, 
as  the  heat  increases,  until  the  opening  between  the 
ends  of  the  rails  is  entirely  closed.  After  this,  as 
there  is  no  further  room  for  expansion,  the  track  is 
forced  out  of  line,  and  kinks  are  put  in  the  shoulder 
of  light  weight  rails.  This  extreme  expansion  is  very 
dangerous  for  fast  trains,  and  in  many  cases  has  been 
the  cause  of  wrecks.  The  effect  of  expansion  of  the 
rails  is  most  noticeable  on  the  line  of  track  which  is 
only  partially  ballasted  and  filled  between  the  ties,  or 
where  track  has  been  laid  down  without  any  particu- 
lar baUast. 

HEAT   AND   COLD. 

12.  Contraction  is  a  shrinking  or  shortening  up 
of  the  rails,  and  is  caused  by  cold  weather.  The  con- 
traction of  the  rails  increases  with  the  severity  of  the 
cold,  and  by  this  process,  the  opening  in  the  joint 
between  the  rails  is  enlarged. 

Sometimes  in  the  winter  the  contraction  is  so 
great  that  where  the  rails  were  not  properly  laid,  the 
track  is  torn  apart,  joint  splices  are  broken,  and 
openings  between  the  rails  are  increased  from  three 
inches  to  a  foot,  rendering  the  track  extremely  dan- 
gerous for  trains,  unless  discovered  in  time  by  the 
Trackmen  and  repaired. 

Too  much  space  at  the  joints  also  affects  the  wear- 
ing qualities  of  the  rails,  the  opening  at  the  joint  being 
so  large  that  the  car  wheels  batter  their  ends,  and 
they  wear  out  and  have  to  be  taken  out  of  service 
much  sooner  than  rails  of  the  same  quality  if  laid 
with  the  proper  spacing  on  another  part  of  the  road. 

EXPANSION   TABLE. 

The  following  table  shows  the  proper  space  to  leave 


10 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


TEMPERATURE. 

At  90  degrees  above  zero. 
70 
50 
30 
10 

5 


10 


below 


between  the  ends  of  the  rails  when  laying  track  at 
any  temperature: 

AMOUNT  OF  EXPANSION. 

1-16  of  an  inch. 
1-8  " 
3-16  " 
1-4  " 
5-16  " 
3-8  : 

With  slight  variations  this  table  will  do  for  any 
weight  of  rails  now  made. 

Expansion  shims  should  be  made  of  narrow  flat  iron 
or  steel,  and  bent  so  that  one  end  would  rest  on  top 
of  the  rail  when  in  place.  The  shim  could  thus  be 
easily  removed  and  used  again,  after  a  piece  of  track 
was  laid,  and  all  the  bolts  then  tightened  up  on  the 
joint  fastenings. 

A  ten-penny  common  steel  nail,  if  bent  at  right 
angles,  makes  a  cheap  and  handy  expansion  shim 
when  no  others  are  provided.  It  may  be  used  at 
almost  any  temperature  above  the  freezing  point,  by 
reversing  the  end  and  flattening  the  head  of  the  nail. 
Expansion  shims  should  not  be  allowed  to  remain  be- 
tween the  ends  of  the  rails  after  a  piece  of  track  is 
laid  and  the  joint  fastenings  have  been  made  secure. 
Care  should  be  taken  when  laying  old  iron  or  steel 
rails,  to  make  the  same  allowance  for  expansion  as 
when  laying  new  rails. 

TRANSFERRING   MATERIAL. 

13.  Owing  to  the  scarcity  of  flat  cars  on  railroads, 
box  cars  or  stock  cars  are  often  used  to  ship  rails  to 
the  front  when  track  laying.  All  rails  which  come 
in  this  manner  have  to  be  transferred  to  flat  cars  at 


NEW    EOAD.  11 

certain  points,  in  order  to  facilitate  handling  them 
before  laying  at  the  front.  The  transfer  of  rails  from 
box  or  stock  cars  can  best  be  accomplished  by  switch- 
ing empty  flat  cars  between  the  loaded  cars  and  attach- 
ing framed  rollers  to  the  end  doors  of  the  loaded 
cars  to  run  tne  rails  out  upon.  A  hollow  iron  roller 
can  also  be  used  to  place  under  the  rail  within  the 
loaded  car,  and  one  upon  the  flat  car  where  it  receives 
the  rail.  If  this  is  done  a  large  quantity  of  rails  can 
be  transferred  in  a  day  with  a  small  crew  of  men. 
The  transfer  Foreman  should  keep  posted  as  to  the 
quantity  and  different  kinds  of  material  wanted  at 
the  front,  and  he  should  make  every  effort  to  forward 
the  supplies  so  as  not  to  delay  the  track  laying.  He 
should  also  keep  an  accurate  and  detailed  account  of 
all  track  material,  or  other  supplies  which  passes 
through  his  hands. 

MIXED   LENGTHS   OF   EAILS. 

14.  When  it  is  possible  to  avoid  it  mixed  lengths 
of  rails  should  not  be  used  when  laying  track.  The 
cost  of  repairing  such  a  track  is  always  greater  than 
a  track  laid  with  rails  of  a  uniform  length,  and  when 
the  rails  begin  to  wear  out  there  is  a  large  amount  of 
material  wasted  and  time  lost  by  replacing  the  bat- 
tered rails  from  rails  of  a  different  length  for  repairing. 
When  Tracklayers  find  it  necessary  to  get  rid  of  a 
mixed  lot  of  rails,  the  best  place  to  lay  them  is  in  a 
side  track,  matching  all  rails  of  an  equal  length  or 
height.  When  there  is  not  room  for  mixed  rails  in 
side  tracks,  lay  them  in  the  main  track  close  to  or  at 
a  station;  there  the  track  is  safer,  and  the  section  man 
can  do  the  necessary  repairing  or  changing  of  rails  at 


12  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

less  cost,  and  to  better  advantage  than  out  on  his 
section. 

A   SHOET   RAIL    FOR    CURVES. 

15.  When  laying  rails  around  a  curve,  a  Foreman 
should  have  on  hand  a  few  29-foot  or  29^-f oot  rails, 
and  put  one  in  on  the  inside  of  the  curve  whenever  it  is 
necessary  to  square   the  joints,  as  the  inside  rail  will 
gain  on  the  outside  rail  in  proportion  to  the  degree 
of  the  curve. 

A   TIE   UNDER   JOINTS. 

16.  Wherever  a  rail  joint  comes  in   a   track,   no 
matter  how  short  the  piece  of  rail,  or  how  long,  there 
should  always  be  a  tie  under  that  joint  to  support  it. 
Suspended  joints  are   knocked  down  out  of  surface 
easier  than  those  supported  by  ties,  and  are  often  the 
cause  of  broken  rails,  because  there  is  so  much  spring 
in  the  suspended  end  of  rails  where  splices  get  loose. 
Where   angle  bar   splices  are   used,  and  where  it  is 
possible,    and    the  splices  are  long    enough,    a    tie 
should  be  placed  under  the  center  of  the  joint.     All 
the  short  angle  bar  splices  now  in  use  on  railroads 
will  bend  down  with  the  joint  and  break,  unless  well 
taken  care  of  and  kept  up  to  proper  surface  and  the 
bolts  tightened  when  they  become  loose. 

WHEN  LAID  IN  A  SAG. 

17.  When  a  Foreman  lays  a  piece  of  track  in  a  sag 
which  he  soon  expects  to  raise  up  to  a  level  surface, 
he  can  raise  the  track  if  the  sag  is  not  too  deep  with- 
out cutting  the  rails,  by  leaving  the  joints  open  as 
much  as  possible  when  laying  the  rails  by  keeping 
the  bolts  in  the  splices  not  too  tight.     Otherwise  he 
will  have  to  cut  some  of  the  lengths  of  the  track, 


NEW    ROAD.  13 

because  the    track  in   a    sag   is   longer    than   when 
brought  up  to  the  level  surface. 

CHANGE  OF  LINE. 

18.  In  cases  where  a  general  change  of  line  is 
made  by  moving  a  curve  track  inward  several  feet 
the  Foreman  should  have  his  men  dig  out  all  the  ma- 
terial which  is  used  for  filling  between  the  ties  for  the 
full  distance  covered  by  the  new  change  in  track  line, 
so  that  the  ties  will  not  crowd  against  each  other  or 
injure  the  surface  by  raising  up  on  top  of  the  ballast. 
Before  commencing  to  line  the  track,  take  out  and  set 
aside  one  rail  length  of  the  track  in  the  middle  of  the 
curve.  Then  loosen  up  the  track  with  a  jack  or  lever 
bars  and  blocks.  Start  lining  gangs  at  one  or  both 
ends  of  the  curve  and  work  toward  the  middle,  mov- 
ing the  track  toward  the  new  line  12  to  20  inches,  or 
as  far  as  it  can  be  pulled  conveniently  with  one  lin- 
ing, without  kinking  the  rails  or  splices.  Continue 
thus  until  the  opening  in  the  middle  of  the  curve  is 
reached.  Then  go  back  and  commence  again  as  near 
the  end  of  the  curve  as  may  be  necessary,  and  work 
toward  the  middle  as  before.  Repeat  this  process 
until  the  inside  rail  of  the  track  has  been  moved  be- 
yond the  center  stakes  for  the  new  line,  bringing  in 
both  ends  of  the  curve  alike.  Then  while  part  of  the 
men  are  spacing  and  squaring  the  ties,  and  throwing 
in  surfacing  material,  etc.,  .go  over  the  ground  with  a 
handy  gang  of  three  or  four  men,  and  line  the  track  to 
the  center  stakes.  Do  not  cut  the  rails  to  fill  up  the 
opening  at  the  middle  of  the  curve  until  all  the  lin- 
ing of  the  track  is  finished.  Otherwise  the  rails  may 
not  fit  after  all  the  lining  is  completed.  Lining  from 


14  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

the  ends  of  the  curve  toward  the  middle  always  forces 
the  track  to  move  forward  toward  the  opening.  By 
moving  the  track  a  little  past  the  center  stakes  with 
the  first  lining,  and  then  throwing  it  outward  to  its 
place  when  finishing  the  work,  prevents  buckling  or 
jamming  joints  to-gether  and  makes  the  track  less  dif- 
ficult to  handle.  The  latter  operation  stretches  the 
track,  and  opens  up  joints  that  might  otherwise  have 
proved  too  tight  for  conveniently  maintaining  a  good 
line  in  the  future. 

When  the  change  of  line  is  so  great  that  the  new 
line  is  some  distance  clear  of  the  old  track,  it  is  some- 
times a  better  policy  to  lay  a  new  section  of  track 
throughout,  than  to  try  to  move  the  old  piece  of  track 
to  the  place  with  lining  bars. 

GOOD   SIDE  TRACKS. 

19.  It  is  a  bad  habit  ^of  some  Track  Foremen  when 
putting  in  a  side  track  to  allow*  the  work  to  be  done 
in  a  careless  manner.  The  track  is  surfaced  poorly 
or  not  at  all;  rail  joints  are  not  square,  nor  are  there 
ties  under  the  joints  except  when  they  come  there  by 
chance,  splices  are  loose  on  the  joints,  with  one  and 
two  bolts  in  them;  ties  are  under  the  track  in  all 
shapes,  at  some  places  one  foot  apart,  at  others  three 
or  four  feet.  In  fact,  everything  seems  to  be  done 
as  slovenly  as  possible,  because  it  is  only  a  side  track. 
This  should  not  be  the  case.  All  work  on  side  tracks 
should  be  as  good  as  on  the  main  track,  for  several 
reasons;  first,  that  train  men  may  be  able  to  do  their 
work  without  accident  to  themselves  or  the  company's 
property;  next,  that  grain  men  and  others  may  be  able 
to  move  a  car  when  loading  or  unloading  without 
having  to  call  on  every  passing  freight  train  to  stop 


NEW   ROAD.  15 

and  switch  it  for  them,  and  lastly,  because  a  good 
smooth  side  track  will  save  burning  so  much  coal, 
since  an  engine  can  switch  a  greater  number  of  cars 
more  easily  than  on  a  rough  track.  The  little  extra 
expense  of  making  a  good  track,  when  laying  it,  is 
well  repaid  in  the  course  of  time. 

TO  STOP  TRACK  FROM  CREEPING. 

20.  The  best  method  to  hold  iron  or  steel  to  keep 
it  from  creeping  down  grades  or  from  running  ahead 
enough  to  throw  track  out  of  line  or  kink  the  rails,  is 
to  use  the  slot  spikes  in  the  splices.     This  can  be  done 
only  where  angle  bar  splices  are  used  on  joints.     The 
advantage  gained  by  putting  the  slot  spikes  in  the 
splices  instead  of  in  the  flange  of  the  rail  is  that  al- 
though the  joint  is  held  firmly  in  place,  the  slot  spik- 
es do  not  interfere  with  the  contraction  or  expansion 
of  the  rails,  and  if  the  track  is  spiked  and  laid  in  this 
way  and  given  the  proper  allowance  for  expansion,  it 
will  never  give  any  trouble. 

MAKING  CONNECTIONS. 

21.  At  any  time  when  laying  rails  on  main   track 
or  side  track,  never  make  a  connection  with  a  piece 
of  rail  shorter  than  ten  feet.     When  you  see  that  only 
three  or   four  feet  of  rail  is  necessary  to  connect  the 
two  ends  of  a  piece  of  track,  add  the  three  or  four  feet 
to  the  length  of  the  rail  adjoining  the  space,  cut  two 
pieces  of  rail  half  the  length  of  the  total  number  of 
feet,  and  put  them  into  the  track  to  make  the  con- 
nection. 

SHORT   PIECES   OF   RAIL. 

22.  A  piece  of  rail  less  than  ten  feet  in  length  is 
of  the  most  value   to  a  railroad  company  when  re- 


16  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

turned  to  the  rolling  mill.  Except  in  cases  where  it 
is  absolutely  necessary  to  use  short  pieces  of  rail  as  at 
the  ends  of  frogs,  in  the  round  house  tracks,  etc.,  the 
extra  expense  necessary  to  prepare  them  so  that  they 
will  be  perfectly  safe  in  track,  (safety  is  the  main 
point  to  be  considered),  will  offset  the  difference  in 
value  between  old  and  new  rails  of  equal  lengths.  A 
Track  Foreman  can  generally  avoid  making  a  short 
connection,  especially  when  laying  old  rails,  by  select- 
ing lengths  of  rail  that  will  leave  him  15,  20  or  25 
feet  of  space  for  connecting,  as  any  of  the  lengths 
mentioned  can  be  cut  from  a  good  24,  26  or  30  foot 
rail  that  has  been  battered  on  the  end. 

THE   STEEL   CAR. 

23.  The  men  selected  to  work  on  the  steel  car  in 
laying  track  should  be  strong,  healthy,  active  men,  all 
of  whom  speak  and  understand  plain  English.     Men 
of  different  nationalities,  no  matter  how  good  physic- 
ally,  should  not  be  allowed  to  work  together  on  a 
steel  car.     Where  such  is  the  case  accidents  are  of 
common  occurence  and  the  work  does  not  progress  as 
well  as  when  the  kind  of  men  first  spoken  of  are  em- 
ployed to  do  the  work.     The  Foreman  on  a  steel  car 
should  be  a  man  of  energy  and  experience,  when  pos- 
sible to  procure  such  a  one,  and  he  should  be  equal,  if 
not  superior,  to  his  men  physically  and  intellectually. 

LINING   NEW   TRACK. 

24.  When  a  new  road  is  first  laid  the  Engineers  put 
stakes  along  where  the  center  of  the  track  should  be. 
These  stakes  are  generally  set  about  100  feet  apart,  and 
a  tack  is  driven  in  the  top  of  each  stake  to  show  the 
correct  center  of  the  track.     The  man  whose  business 


NEW   ROAD.  17 

it  is  to  line  the  rails  behind  the  tracklayers,  always 
carries  with  him  a  small  light,  wooden  gage  with  the 
center  marked  on  it.  The  manner  of  lining  new 
track  is  as  follows  :  The  Trackliner  places  his  gage 
on  top  of  the  rails  across  the  track  over  one  of  the 
center  stakes.  His  men  then  lift  the  track  to  one 
side  until  the  center  mark  on  the  gage  is  directly  over 
the  tack  in  the  top  of  the  center  stake  between  the 
rails.  This  part  of  the  track  is  then  allowed  to  re- 
main in  that  position  and  should  not  be  moved  again. 
After  the  Trackliner  has  put  the  rails  in  position  at 
two  or  three  center  stakes,  he  proceeds  with  his  men 
to  put  the  rails  between  these  in  a  true  line  with  them, 
which  completes  the  work.  Any  carelessness  on  the 
part  of  the  Trackliner  in  the  matter  of  putting  the 
rails  in  their  proper  place  at  the  center  stakes,  is  apt 
to  cause  trouble  when  the  track  has  been  surfaced, 
as  it  is  often  difficult  for  the  trackman  in  charge  of  a 
section  to  get  a  perfect  line  on  his  track  at  places 
where  the  first  trackliner  left  swings  in  it,  because 
numbers  of  the  center  stakes  are  lost  or  moved  out  of 
position,  during  the  work  of  tracklaying. 

TRACK   LINE. 

25.  After  a  railroad  track  has  been  properly  sur- 
faced the  rails  should  be  put  in  a  perfectly  true  line. 
Few  Track  Foremen  seem  to  give  this  part  of  the 
track  work  the  attention  it  deserves,  and  even  on  first- 
class  railroads  it  is  seldom  that  anything  like  perfec- 
tion in  the  line  of  track  is  attained.  Of  what  avail  is 
all  the  other  work  done  on  a  piece  of  track  if  it  be 
not  in  good  line  and  gage?  The  surface  may  be  per- 
fectly level  and  smooth,  but  cars  will  ride  badly  over 


18  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

it  at  high  rates  of  speed.  The  wheels  following  the 
crooked  line  and  bad  gage,  cause  the  cars  to  dance 
from  one  side  to  the  other  almost  as  badly  as  if  the 
surface  of  the  track  were  rough,  especially  on  curves, 
and  a  bad  line  or  gage  will  soon  make  a  track  rough} 
because  the  heavy  rolling  loads  cause  the  wheel  flang- 
es to  strike  the  rails  with  great  force,  where  the  line 
is  irregular. 

There  is  no  excuse  for  bad  line  or  gage  on  track, 
especially  where  it  is  ballasted,  or  Foremen  raise  it  up 
to  surface  it.  All  that  is  required  is  a  little  skill,  a 
good,  careful  eye,  and  force  enough  to  put  the  rails 
in  place,  all  of  which  ought  readily  to  be  found  en 
any  section ;  while  as  a  matter  of  fact,  some  of  the 
track  we  see,  looks  as  if  all  three  of  the  requisites 
mentioned  were  almost  entirely  lacking. 

A  well  lined  section  is  the  best  indication  that  the 
Foreman  in  charge  of  it  thoroughly  understands  his 
business,  because  a  good  line  cannot  long  be  main- 
tained without  also  having  a  good  surface  on  the 
track.  In  order  to  preserve  the  line  of  track  as  orig- 
inally located,  and  to  enable  the  Foreman  to  keep  a 
true  line  on  the  rails,  I  would  suggest  that  permanent 
stone  monuments  be  set  in  the  ground  at  convenient 
distances  along  the  center  of  the  grade  of  a  double 
track  railroad,  or  on  one  side  of  a  single  track,  and 
that  the  top  of  each  stone  monument  be  chiseled 
square  or  capped  with  iron  or  steel  so  that  a  gage  may 
be  tried  at  any  time  and  show  the  correct  distance 
between  the  monument  and  the  nearest  rail  of  either 
of  the  tracks.  These  monuments  might  also  be  made 
the  standard  from  which  to  take  levels  when  surfacing 
track,  or  when  ballasting  track  out  of  a  face,  by  having 


NEW  ROAD.  19 

the  grade  levels  marked  and  numbered  on  each  mon- 
ument ;  any  of  the  figures  on  one  monument  designa- 
ting the  same  level  on  all  of  them. 

ONE  OK  MORE  STEEL  CARS. 

26.  When  it  is  not  intended  to  lay  more  than  one 
mile  of  track  per  day,  one  crew  and  one  steel  car  is 
sufficient.     When  it  is  necessary  to  lay  from  one  and 
a  half  to  three  miles  of  track,  two  or  more  steel  cars 
can  be  used  to  get  material  to  the  front,  and  a  team 
of  horses  should  be  used  after  the  second  car  is  put 
on,  to  pull  the  load  out  and  the  empty  car  back.     The 
regular  steel  car  crew  should  never  be  taken  from  the 
front  when  two  or  three  cars  are  used.     They  should 
only  be  required  to  bring  back  the  empty  car  to  meet 
the  load,  and  turn  the  empty  up  on  its  side  to  let  the 
load  pass   it.     It   is  poor  economy  for  Tracklayers, 
when  rushing  the  work,  to  have  the  steel  car  crew 
come  back  one  half  mile  or  more  to  load  steel. 

HOW  CONSTRUCTED. 

27.  The  steel  car  should  be  light,  strong  and  com- 
pact, and  made  of  the  best  material,  so  that  it  can 
carry  a  heavy  load  and  at  the  same  time  be  easily 
handled  by  the  crew  working  it.     The  wheels'  tread 
should  be  at  least  eight  inches  wide,  so  that  the  car 
can  pass  over  loose  and  uneven  gaged  track  without 
leaving  the  rails.    *A  load  of  rails  with  the  car  off  the 
track  often  causes  considerable  delay. 

TRACK    LAYING   GAGE. 

28.  The  gage  used  to  hold  the  rails  in  place  ahead 
of  the  steel  car  should  be  made  of  one  solid  piece  of 
iron  with  a  lip  in  projection  to  come  down  on  both 
sides  of  the  ball  of  each  rail  of  track.     This  kind  of  a 


20  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

gage  serves  the  double  purpose  of  gaging  the  track, 
and  of  holding  the  loose  rails  in  place  until  the  car 
has  passed  over  them. 

CATTLE  GUARDS. 

29.  For  a  good,  safe  cattle  guard,  the  writer  be- 
lieves that  an  iron  or  steel  surface  cattle  guard,  which 
can  be  put  in  without  excavating  under  the  track  to 
a  greater  depth  than  the  bottom  of  the  ties,  and  which 
will  at  the  same  time  prevent  cattle  or  other  animals 
from  coming  upon  or  crossing  it  is  just  what  the  rail- 
roads need  at  the  present  time,  and  that  if  the  proper 
kind  is  offered  railroad  companies  would  purchase 
them  and  put  them  in,  to  replace  the  old  stone  or  tim- 
ber structures  which  are  commonly  used.  My  chief 
objections  to  the  common  timber  cattle  guards  are 
that  those  which  are  constructed  by  excavating  a  hole 
in  the  ground  and  spiking  the  rails  along  the  top  of  a 
single  stringer  over  this  hole  makes  a  trap  for  cattle 
to  fall  into,  and  that  if  a  car  wheel  or  truck  is  derailed 
before  reaching  one  of  them  there  is  liable  to  be  a 
very  disastrous  wreck. 

Cattle  guards  constructed  on  the  same  principle 
with  track  or  bridge  ties  along  their  tops  only  lessens 
the  danger  to  some  extent,  because  the  ties,  if  not 
very  close  together,  are  liable  to  break  under  the 
wheels,  and  if  cattle  attempt  to  cross  such  a  cattle 
guard,  which  is  often  the  case,  they  sometimes  fall 
through,  and  in  this  position  they  are  liable  to  wreck 
a  train,  and  cannot  extricate  themselves  without 
assistance. 

I  also  think  that  an  iron  surface  cattle  guard  can 
be  put  in  and  maintained  at  a  less  cost  to  the  railroad 
companies  than  one  made  of  timber  and  constructed 


NEW    ROAD. 


in  the  usual  way,  and  its  use  must  result  in  economy, 
in  keeping  a  good,  smooth  track  at  points  where  the 
pit  guard  would  be  heaved  up  by  frost  in  the  winter 
and  require  the  service  of  section  men  to  shim  and 
repair  it  very  frequently. 

LIST   OF    TRACK    TOOLS. 

30.     List   of   track  tools  for  a  section  of  5  miles, 
Foreman  and  crew  of  5  men,  as  recommended  at  the 
Denver  Convention  of  American  Roadmasters,  Sept., 
1889,  by  the  committee  on  Track  Tools: 
Adzes , 


Axe 1 

Hand  Axe '....  1 

Toul  Box 1 

Water  Bucket 1 

Brooms 3 

CJaw  Bars 2 

Lining  Bars 5 

Raising  Bar 1 

Tamping  Bars   6 

Chisels 12 

Hand  Car 1 

Push  Car 1 

Oil  Cans 3 

Water  Can 1 

Chairs .- 2 

Dippers 2 

Ratchet  Drill 1 

Drills.. 6 

Red  Flags 2 

Track  Gages 2 

Grind  Stone 1 

Grub  Hoes  and  Mattock . .  3 

Pick  Handles 6 

Axe  Handle 1 

Adze  Handles 2 

Hammer  Handles 6 

Spike  Hammers 4 

Sledge  Hammers 1 

Napping  Hammer 1 


Hatchet 1 

Lanterns,  White 2 

Lanters,  Red 2 

Lantern  Globe,  White 1 

Level,  Track 1 

Level,  Boards 1 

Levels,  Blocks 2 

Clay  Picks 6 

Tamping  Picks 6 

Punch 1 

Pad  Locks 2 

Rail  Tongs 2 

Scythes 6 

Scythe  Snaths 6 

Scythe  Stones 6 

Shovels 6 

Scoop  Shovels 4 

Hand  Saw 

Crosscut  Saw 

Rail  Saw  for  every  50  mis. 
Jim  Crow  for  every  50  mis. 

Torpedoes 12 

Track  Jack 

Tape  Line 

Track  Lever 

Wheel  Barrows 2 

Track  Wrenches 4 

Monkey  Wrench. .  .- 1 

Water 'Keg 1 


22  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

LOCATING  WAGON  CROSSINGS. 

31.  In  states  where  the  law  is  such  that  the  public 
has  a  right  to  use  the  section  lines  as  public  high- 
ways, it  is  a  good  policy  for  those  in  charge  of  build- 
ing new  railroads  to  have  all  the  necessary  grading 
done  at  such  points  as  there  is  a  probability  of  locat- 
ing grade  crossings  in  the  near  future.     The  work  can 
be  done  with  less  expense  when  the  roadbed  is   in 
course  of  construction  than  at  any  other  time. 

WHERE  TO  SPIKE   THE   PLANK. 

32.  When  locating  public  or  private  plank  cross- 
ings on  their  sections,  Foremen  should,  whenever  it  is 
possible,  spike  down  the  plank  at  the  center  of  rail, 
because  if  the  crossing  is  spiked  down  where  a  rail 
joint  comes  in  the  track,  when  the  joint  gets  low  it 
cannot  be  raised  up  to  surface  without  removing  the 
plank  to  do  it,  and  for  this  reason  is  often  neglected. 

A   COMMON    PLANK   WAGON   CROSSING. 

33.  Seven  3x10  inch  plank  will  do  for  a  common 
wagon   crossing.     One  plank  is  to  be  used  on  each 
side  of  the  track  outside  and  spiked  close  up  to  the 
rails.     Five  plank  are  to  be  used  in  the  center  of  the 
track,  leaving  a  space  for  the  wheel  flanges  next  to 
the   rails  on  the  inside.     About  five  inches  of  the 
ends  of  the  crossing  planks  should  be  dressed  off  with 
the  adze,  leaving  a  slanting  surface,  which  will  en- 
able any  objects  which  strike  the  end  of  the  plank  to 
pass  over  them  without  tearing  the  plank  out  of  place. 

A   STANDARD   HIGHWAY   CROSSING. 

34.  -A  standard  highway  crossing  on  the  C.  M.  & 
St.  P.  R'y.,  is  made  by. using  one  plank  along  the 
outside  of  the  track  rail  and  only  one  plank  along  the 


NEW    ROAD. 


BEI 


24  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

inside,  and  at  each  end  between  the  inside  planks  is 
spiked  a  short  piece  of  plank  forming  a  kind  of  box 
which  is  then  rilled  with  earth,  broken  stone  or  cinders. 
This  kind  of  crossing  where  it  can  be  used  saves 
considerable  lumber  and  is  both  durable  and  econom- 
ical. The  C.,  R.  I.  &  P.  R,  R.,  and  some  other  roads 
use  a  track  rail  in  some  of  their  crossings,  instead  of 
the  inside  plank.  This  rail  is  laid  on  its  side  with  its 
head  against  the  web  of  the  track  rail,  thus  forming 
a  channel  for  the  wheel  flanges  to  run  in.  It  is  bolted 
to  the  track  rail  near  each  end  and  its  ends  are  then 
turned  in  towards  the  center  of  the  track  and  all  the 
space  between  both  sides  is  then  filled  up  level  with 
broken  stone  or  other  material.  This  style  of  grade 
crossing  has  some  advantage  in  being  so  easily  kept 
in  repair  and  not  requiring  the  services  of  trackmen 
to  clean  the  ice  and  snow  from  the  flange  way  in  the 
winter  season.  But  the  item  of  first  cost  is  consider- 
ably more  than  other  crossings  on  account  of  the 
large  amount  of  metal  in  the  rail. 

The  writer  believes  that  it  would  pay  to  have  a  rail 
specially  manufactured  of  a  much  lighter  and  slightly 
different  pattern  which  would  accomplish  the  same 
results  in  every  way  as  well  as  a  track  rail  and  thus 
remove  the  chief  objection  to  this  style  of  grade 
crossing  which  I  think  could  be  made  the  best  and 
most  economical  of  any  of  these  here  mentioned. 

* 
#  # 

LAYING    NEW    STEEL. 

35.  When  steel  rails  were  a  new  thing,  and  cost 
several  times  as  much  money  per  ton  as  they  now  do, 
the  railroads  which  purchased  them  were  very  careful 
where  they  laid  them  and  how  they  were  laid.  The 


NEW   ROAD.  25 

track  had  to  be  ballasted,  smoothly  surfaced,  and  filled 
up  with  good,  sound  ties,  especially  under  the  rail 
joints. 

None  but  the  best  of  trackmen  were  employed  to 
do  the  work,  and  special  instructions  were  issued  to 
the  foremen  how  the  rails  should  be  handled  and  laid 
in  the  track;  and  the  correct  space  beween  joints  at 
the  different  temperatures  was  given,  which  could 
not  be  varied  because  expansion  shims  were  furnish- 
ed to  be  placed  between  the  rails  when  being  laid. 
Special  provision  was  made  for  unloading  the  rails 
from  cars  without  bending  or  twisting  them.  No 
kinky  rails  were  put  in  the  track  in  that  condition, 
and  a  record  was  kept  of  the  wearing  qualities  of  each 
separate  lot  of  steel  rails.  It  was  considered  next  to 
a  sacrilege  to  cut  off  the  end  of  a  steel  rail  to  make  a 
connection  or  put  in  a  new  switch  lead,  the  iron  rail 
always  being  cut  in  preference,  or  proper  lengths  of 
steel  being  furnished  for  the  switch  lead.  The  re- 
sults, in  most  cases,  fully  compensated  for  the  pains 
taken  when  laying  steel  rails,  and  most  of  the  railroad 
men  who  have  had  experience  doing  this  work  can 
testify  that  rails  so  well  taken  care  of  remained  in 
service  and  lasted  almost  double  as  long  a  time  as 
some  of  the  steel  rails  laid  nowadays.  This  in  part 
may  be  attributed  to  the  inferior  qualities  of  some  of 
the  steel  rails  produced  at  the  present  time. 

Steel  rails  have  become  so  common  now  that  all 
new  railroads  constructing  or  old  roads  relaying  their 
track  use  nothing  else,  and  on  many  of  these  roads 
(although  there  may  be  a  pretense  to  the  contrary) 
the  steel  is  often  thrown  down  on  rough  grades  and 
run  over  without  ballasting.  In  fact  the  policy  of 


26  THE  TKACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

those  in  charge  of  the  work  seems  to  be,  in  some 
cases,  not  to  take  any  better  care  of  the  new  steel 
than  they  would  of  old  worn  out  iron.  Although 
steel  has  now  become  more  common  than  iron,  the 
regulations  for  laying  it,  such  as  those  mentioned  in 
the  beginning  of  this  article,  should  not  be  altered  in 
any  particular.  June,  July  and  August  are  the  best 
months  for  laying  steel  rails  in  the  north  and  west, 
because  during  the  summer  months  the  conditions 
are  more  favorable  for  improving  the  track.  The 
ground  is  dry  and  subgrade  solid.  Ties  are  all  in  the 
track,  or  on  the  ground  ready  to  put  in.  Ballast  sup- 
plies can  be  easily  reached.  There  are  better  facili- 
ties for  furnishing  locomotives  and  cars  to  do  the 
work,  on  account  of  lighter  business  on  the  roads. 
Last,  but  not  least,  the  new  rails  may  be  laid  at  a 
time  when  there  is  the  least  variation  in  temperature 
and  they  are  at  or  near  their  greatest  expansion. 

HOW   TO    EELAY    IRON   OR   STEEL. 

36.  The  method  most  generally  practiced  by  Track- 
men, when  relaying  iron  or  steel,  is  as  follows:  First. 
the  rails  to  be  laid  are  ranged  out  along  on  the  ends  of 
the  ties  and  bolted  together,  the  end  of  the  first  rail 
being  perfectly  square  with  a  joint  in  the  track  where 
the  new  and  old  rails  meet.  The  first  new  rail  should 
have  two  spikes  driven  at  the  end  which  goes  into 
track  first,  to  keep  it  from  running  ahead  of  the  joint, 
which  often  happens  in  warm  weather,  or  is  caused 
by  knocking  the  other  rails  endwise  against  it.  If 
the  end  of  the  first  rail  does  run  past  the  joint  before 
the  Foreman  is  aware  of  it,  when  laying  the  rails  into 
track,  he  can  generally  shorten  the  line  of  rails  enough 
to  let  the  first  rail  in,  by  throwing  a  curve  in  at  some 


NEW    ROAD.  27 

distance  from  the  first  rail.  The  bolts  should  be  kept 
tight  in  the  new  rails  so  that  lining  will  not  affect 
the  spacing.  The  work  of  ranging  out  the  new  rails 
and  getting  ready  to  lay  them  into  track  should  be 
done  while  trains  are  running  so  close  together  that 
there  is  not  time  to  change  a  very  large  number  at 
once.  The  time  to  put  in  new  and  take  out  old  rails 
is  when  there  is  the  longest  time  between  the  passage 
of  trains  over  track  during  the  day.  Another  part  of 
the  work  in  getting  ready  is  to  remove  from  the  rails 
in  the  track  all  the  bolts  and  spikes  that  can  be  taken 
out  with  safety.  When  everything  is  ready  to  lay  in 
the  new  rails,  a  part  of  the  men  remove  all  of  the 
spikes  remaining  in  the  track  on  one  side  of  each  rail. 
The  inside  spikes  are  generally  the  ones  pulled  out 
except  when  there  is  a  difference  in  the  width  of  the 
flange  of  the  new  and  old  rails,  when  it  is  necessary 
sometimes  to  pull  the  inside  spikes  on  one  side  of  the 
track  and  outside  spikes  on  the  other,  or  on  both 
sides,  in  order  to  have  the  new  iron  or  steel  come  to 
perfect  gage.  While  a  part  of  the  men  are  pulling 
spikes,  etc.,  another  part  should  be  throwing  out  of 
place  the  old  line  of  rails  and  at  the  same  time  more 
of  the  men  should  be  throwing  in  the  new  line  of 
rails  and  spiking  them  into  place.  Everything  should 
be  kept  moving  so  that  when  the  next  train  is  nearly 
due  there  is  nothing  remaining  to  be  done  but  mak- 
ing the  connection  between  new  and  old  rails  where 
you  intend  to  leave  off,  until  the  next  line  of  new 
rails  is  ready  to  put  in.  A  Foreman  should  always 
see  that  the  first  end  of  the  new  iron  or  steel  is  bolted 
immediately  after  throwing  it  into  track,  or  it  may  cause 
considerable  trouble  by  running  ahead  of  the  joint  or 


28  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

by  contracting,  when  it  is  sometimes  very  hard  to  get 
it  back  to  place.  When  a  Foreman  wants  to  make 
his  temporary  connections  to  let  trains  pass,  a  much 
better  and  quicker  way  than  the  old  way  of  cutting  a 
rail,  everytime  a  connection  has  to  be  made,  is  to  keep 
on  hand,  ready  for  use,  two  rails  about  ten  or  fifteen 
feet  long,  cut  tapering  to  a  point  on  one  end  like 
those  in  split  switches.  When  you  want  to  make  a 
connection  you  bolt  the  blunt  end  of  these  rails  to  the 
end  of  the  last  new  rail  put  in,  and  lay  the  point  end 
of  short  rail  close  up  along  the  side  of  the  next  old 
rail,  holding  it  to  place  with  a  shoe  or  clamp  and 
spiking  it  to  gage.  To  put  this  short  rail  to  gage  it 
is  necessary  only  to  pull  or  spring  the  spikes  enough 
to  let  the  end  of  the  old  track  rail  spread  a  little,  and 
let  the  point  rail  to  gage.  The  use  of  these  two  short 
point  rails  saves  considerable  time  in  making  con- 
nection, as  a  Foreman  can  work  his  men  close  up  to 
the  time  that  a  train  is  due,  putting  in  the  new  rails. 

Where  there  are  many  trains  passing  to  interfere 
with  the  work  of  laying  rails,  to  put  the  rails  in  track 
in  a  string  is  the  most  economical  method;  but  where 
no  trains  are  run  and  steel  gang  can  use  nearly  all 
the  day  for  work  without  interruption  the  method  of 
laying  one  rail  at  a  time  is  the  most  economical  and 
best  way,  as  we  have  the  added  benefit  of  only  hand- 
ling the  rails  but  once. 

Whether  a  gang  lays  steel  one  rail  at  a  time  or  in 
a  string  makes  little  difference  in  the  distribution  of 
expansion  if  the  Foreman  knows  his  business.  The 
most  damage  is  done  to  track  by  unequal  distribution 
of  expansion  caused  by  not  putting  in  the  joint  ties 


NEW    EOAD.  29 

n,nd  slot  spiking  the  angle  bars  to  them  as  fast  as  the 
work  of  relaying  the  rails  progresses. 

AVERAGE   LIFE  OF   IRON   AND   STEEL. 

37.  Owing  to  the  difference  in  quality  and  in  the 
amount  of  traffic  over  iron  or  steel  rails,  it  is  very 
difficult  to  form  a  correct  estimate  of  the  average  life 
of  either. 

An  important  item  to  be  considered  when  figuring 
the  life  of  track  rails  is  the  care  they  received  when 
first  laid,  and  how  they  were  kept  up  to  surface  by 
the  section  men  afterwards.  Rails  that  are  properly 
laid  and  are  afterwards  kept  up  to  a  good  smooth 
surface,  will  wear  and  give  good  service  from  two  to 
five  years  longer  than  rails  of  the  same  grade  which 
have  only  been  indifferently  cared  for.  Every  year 
that  the  life  of  a  rail  can  be  prolonged,  it  means  a 
saving  to  the  company  of  the  interest  for  one  year  on 
the  principal  invested,  and  a  proportionate  part  of  the 
original  cost,  which  is  sometimes  equal  to  the  differ- 
ence in  value  between  old  and  new  rails,  and  in  many 
cases  the  amount  thus  saved  would  pay  for  the  track 
labor  for  several  years. 

Good  iron  rails  have  been  known  to  last,  in  service 
on  the  main  track  of  a  railroad  doing  a  fair  business, 
eight  and  nine  years,  and  steel  rails  fifteen  years,  but 
many  brands  wear  out  in  less  time. 

When  their  ends  have  become  battered,  rails  are  of 
little  value  in  the  main  track  of  any  road,  where  there 
is  much  business,  and  the  joints  cannot  be  kept  up 
to  a  good  surface,  no  matter  what  kind  of  ballast  is 
put  under  them.  The  only  remedy  is  to  saw  off  the 
bed  ends  of  the  rails  and  use  them  in  branches  or  side 
tracks,  and  when  the  rail  is  battered  on  both  the  joint 


30  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

and  center,  it  is  only  fit  for  rolling  mill  scrap.  Track 
Foremen  should  always  remember  that  by  keeping  a 
smooth  running  surface  on  the  rails,  is  the  only  way 
they  can  demonstrate  their  superiority  as  good  Track- 
men. For  such  men  there  is  always  employment  and 
good  wages.  One  of  the  largest  items  of  a  railroad's 
expenses  is  caused  through  neglecting  to  keep  a 
smooth  surface  on  the  track  joints,  either  on  account 
of  incompetent  Foremen,  or  insufficient  track  forces. 

EVEN   OR   BROKEN    JOINTS. 

38.  There  has  been  considerable  discussion  by 
Trackmen  011  the  subject  of  broken  or  even  joints. 
The  majority  of  track  has  heretofore  been  laid  with 
even  joints,  but  there  lately  have  been  many  opinions 
expressed  in  favor  of  laying  rails  with  what  are  called 
broken  joints,  which  consists  in  placing  the  rail  joint 
on  one  side  of  the  track  opposite  to  the  center  of  the 
rail  on  the  other  side  of  the  track.  There  are  a  few 
points  in  favor  of  the  latter  method  which  I  think  are 
of  sufficient  importance  to  be  worthy  of  consideration. 

On  a  curve  track  where  the  rails  were  not  bent 
before  being  laid,  the  broken  joint  will  assist  to  keep 
the  track  in  line,  because  the  center  of  the  rail  will 
retain  the  curve  better  than  the  joint;  but  if  the  rails 
are  bent  to  the  proper  shape  before  being  laid,  the  true 
curve  line  can  be  preserved  as  well  without  broken 
joints.  Laying  the  rails  with  broken  joints  and  long 
angle  bars  slotted  and  spiked  on  three  ties  will  give  a 
greater  power  to  prevent  track  from  creeping  than 
with  even  joints,  because  the  holding  power  of  the 
three  ties  has  but  one  side  of  the  track  to  keep  in 
place  instead  of  both,  as  would  be  the  case  with  even 
joints.  It  is  also  claimed  that  when  the  rails  are  laid 


NEW    ROAD.  31 

with  broken  joints  a  better  surface  can  be  preserved 
at  the  joint,  the  smooth  rail  center  on  the  opposite 
side  preventing  the  car  wheels  from  striking  the  ends 
of  the  rail  so  hard  when  passing  over  it,  and  this 
seems  to  be  the  chief  reason  for  laying  the  rails  that 
way. 

On  the  other  hand  it  is  handier  to  lay  track  with 
even  joints  and  to  repair  and  surface  it.  Even  joints 
on  a  rough  track  will  remain  level,  and  trains  will  ride 
smoother  over  them  than  would  be  the  case  over  a 
track  laid  with  broken  joints  under  the  same  condi- 
tions. But  a  rough  track  on  any  railroad  ought  soon 
to  be  a  thing  of  the  past.  Laying  the  rails  broken 
joints  doubles  the  work  of  placing  joint  ties  and 
spacing  them. 

HEAVIER    RAILS    WANTED. 

39.  The  time  is  coming,  I  think,  when  all  railroads 
will  use  a  much  heavier  rail  than  the  average  weight 
now  in  use,  because  the  increasing  demand  for  freight 
cars  with  greater  carrying  capacity,  and  the  increased 
weight  of  all  the  locomotives  which  have  been  built 
of  late,  will  force  the  railroads  to  improve  the  track 
they  are  to  run  over,  and  in  110  other  place  can  im- 
provement be  made  to  better  advantage  than  in  the 
rails  and  joint  fastenings. 

Heretofore  the  policy  of  many  of  the  railroads  has 
been  to  lay  in  the  track  the  lightest  weight  of  rail 
that  it  was  possible  to  run  over  safely,  in  order  to 
lessen  the  cost  of  construction,  without  a  thought  as 
to  the  probable  cost  of  keeping  up  such  a  rail  to  sur- 
face, after  the  business  of  the  road  increased  the 
traffic  over  it,  and  as  the  weight  of  their  rolling  stock 
gradually  increased,  the  defects  of  said  light  rails  soon 


32  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

became  apparent,  and  different  devices  were  resorted 
to  in  order  to  strengthen  these  rails.  Very  heavy 
splices  were  adopted  to  prevent  the  ends  of  rails  from 
bending  or  becoming  too  low  for  the  rest  of  the  track. 
The  number  of  ties  under  a  rail  was  increased,  hard 
steel  was  substituted  for  iron,  and  additional  track 
labor  was  employed  to  make  a  first  class  track  with 
this  light  rail.  But  I  think  I  am  safe  in  saying  that 
the  result  has  not  given  satisfaction  in  proportion  to 
the  extra  outlay,  and  that  if  this  money  had  been  ex- 
pended in  purchasing  heavy  steel  rails,  it  would  have 
been  the  more  profitable  policy  in  the  end. 

My  ideal  of  a  track  rail  to  fill  the  present  want  on 
first  class  roads  would  be  a  steel  rail  not  too  hard,  five 
inches  in  height,  with  flange  base  five  inches  wide, 
a  web  not  less  than  three-quarters  of  an  inch  thick, 
the  ball  of  a  sufficient  depth  and  not  less  than 
two  and  one-half  inches  traction  surface  on  top. 
This  will  aid  the  pulling  capacity  of  the  locomotive 
and  lengthen  the  life  of  both  the  locomotive  and  car 
wheels. 

The  gage  side  of  the  rail  should  be  slightly  lower 
than  the  outside  so  as  to  give  the  whole  surface  of  the 
top  for  the  wheel  base  to  rest  on,  and  thus  increase 
the  wheel  mileage  and  prevent  for  a  much  longer 
period  the  wearing.,  of  a  groove  in  the  wheel  tread 
which  is  the  result  generally  brought  about  by  heavy 
wheel  loads  and  narrow  headed  light  rails.  A  wide 
railhead,  which  fits  the  shape  of  the  wheel  tread,  will 
prevent  so  many  wheels  being  sent  to  the  scrap  heap. 
and  weaken  the  power  of  the  lateral  thrusts  which 
swings  the  cars  so  heavily  at  high  rates  of  speed. 

A  wide  rail  base  will  prevent  the  rail  from  cutting 


NEW    ROAD.  33 

into  soft  ties,  under  heavy  traffic,  and  is  a  much  more 
economical  and  labor  saving  method  of  disposing  of 
the  money  which  many  roads  are  now  investing  in  tie 
plates,  the  best  results  from  which  are  only  obtained 
on  sharp  curves,  where  the  tie  plate  acts  as  a  brace 
for  the  outer  rail  by  holding  the  strain  on  two  spikes 
instead  of  one. 

The  bolt  holes  in  the  ends  of  the  rails  should  be  of 
an  oblong  form,  and  the  expansion  and  contraction 
should  be  controlled  by  the  ties  spiked  through  slots 
in  the  angle  bars  instead  of  in  the  rail  flange.  A  rail 
such  as  recommended,  would  weigh  between  80  and 
90  pounds  per  yard  and  would  materially  increase  the 
cost  over  the  majority  of  the  sections  now  in  use. 
But  I  look  on  this  side  of  the  question,  as  only  a  sec- 
ondary consideration,  with  a  first  class  railroad. 
Some  Trackmen  may  differ  with  me  as  to  the  thick- 
ness of  the  web  of  the  rail,  which  I  recommend.  But 
I  believe  this  part  of  the  rail  should  be  made  much 
stronger  than  it  is  now,  and  should  not  be  sacrificed 
to  better  other  parts  of  the  rail,  or  to  accommodate 
the  shape  of  the  splices.  Every  track  rail  should  be 
like  a  steel  bridge,  capable  of  supporting  the  heaviest 
rolling  stock  without  showing  the  slightest  depres- 
sion in  the  surface,  even  should  the  supports  be  taken 
away  from  under  three  feet  of  the  length  at  any  point. 

Railroads  now  want  a  rail  which  will  not  yield  to 
the  weight  of  their  heavy  locomotives  and  press  down 
into  every  rotten  tie,  nor  bend  over  at  the  joints. 

By  increasing  the  size  and  strength  of  the  track 
rail,  we  may  lessen  the  amount  of  labor  necessary  to 
keep  up  the  joints  and  preserve  a  good  surface  on  the 
track.  The  useful  life  of  the  ties  is  increased,  while 


THE  TRACKMAN  S   HELPER. 


NEW   ROAD.  35 

their  number  can  be  reduced  in  good  ballast,  and  be- 
sides a  very  considerable  economy  is  effected  in  the 
wear  and  tear  on  wheels  and  rolling  stock,  three  ele- 
ments which  go  far  towards  compensating  for  the  ex- 
tra cost  of  the  rails.  Figures  2  and  3  represent  sec- 
tions of  a  rail  which  would  weigh  about  90  pounds 
per  yard. 

*** 

SPIKING    AND   GAGING. 

1.  Track  should  always  be  kept  full  spiked  and  in 
perfect  gage.  In  order  to  keep  it  in  perfect  gage,  8 
gage  of  the  standard  width  should  be  used,  and  when 
track  is  spiked  to  gage,  the  gage  should  be  square 
across  the  track,  about  six  or  eight  inches  ahead  of" 
the  tie  spiked,  and  remain  between  the  rails  until  the 
tie  is  spiked.  The  outside  spike  should  not  be 
allowed  to  draw  the  rail  too  tight  on  the  gage  or  to  be 
driven  loosely,  either  of  which  will  affect  the  width 
of  the  track  after  the  gage  is  lifted.  When  gage  is 
tight,  start  inside  spike  first,  when  loose,  the  outside 
spike  first.  Bad  gaging  detracts  from  the  looks  of  an 
otherwise  good  track,  makes  track  easier  to  knock  out 
of  line  and  down  below  surface,  and  is  also  dangerous 
and  the  direct  cause  of  numerous  wrecks.  To  be 
driven  properly  a  spike  should  rest  upon  its  point 
almost  perpendicularly,  when  receiving  the  first  stroke, 
which  if  delivered  right,  will  leave  the  spike  perfectly 
straight  up  and  down.  The  Spiker  should  then  try 
to  deliver  each  stroke  in  such  a  manner  as  not  to  draw 
the  spike  in  any  direction  until  about  the  last  stroke, 
which  should  draw  the  head  of  the  spike  toward  the 
rail  and  down  to  the  flange,  both  at  the  same  time. 
Care  should  be  taken  never  to  strike  the  last  blow  on 


36  THE  TKACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

a  spike  too  hard,  as  this  either  cracks  the  head  or 
breaks  it  off,  rendering  the  spike  in  either  case 
useless. 

PULLING   SPIKES. 

2.  To  draw  a  spike  in  frosty  weather,  or  to  draw 
a  spike  out  of  an  oak  tie  at  any  time  of  year,  tap  the 
spike  down  on  the  head  with  a  spike  maul  once  or 
twice,  before  attempting  to  pull  it  out  of  the  tie  with 
the  claw  bar.     In  most  cases  there  will  then  be  no 
difficulty  in  pulling  the  spike  without  breaking   it. 
Tapping   the  spike  down  with  the  maul  loosens  its 
hold  on  the  wood  of  the  tie  and  makes  it  easier  to  re- 
move.    If  an  opposite  course  is  pursued  and  Track- 
men try  to  pull  spikes  without  doing  as  above  direct- 
ted,  a  great  number  of  the  spikes  will  break  off  under 
the  head. 

WHEKE   TO    DRIVE   SPIKES. 

3.  The  spikes  should  be  driven  about  two  and  one- 
half  inches  from  the  edge  of  a  track  tie.     The  spikes 
take  a  better  hold  in  the  wood  of  a  tie,  and  support 
the  tie  under  the  rail  better  when  driven  thus.     An 
oak  tie  will  split  open  on  the  ends  in  frosty  weather 
if  the  spikes  are  driven  in  the  center  of  the  tie.     The 
tie,  so  split,  will  rot  much  quicker,  and  will  have  to 
be  removed  from  the  track  sooner  than  the  tie  which 
remains  whole.     Another  reason  why  the  track  spikes 
should  be  driven  in  the  sides  of  the  ties  is  because 
the  wood  in  the  center  of  most  ties  is  softer  and  may 
be  decayed,  while  as  a  rule,  the  sides  of  the  ties  are 
sound  timber. 

GAGING   TRACK   IN  WINTER. 

4.  Section  Foremen  should  make  an  effort  to  gage 


NEW    KOAD=  37 

all  of  the  track  in  their  charge  once  a  year  if  possible. 
Early  in  the  winter,  and  before  general  track  work 
begins  in  the  spring,  are  the  best  times  to  gage  track, 
because  at  such  times,  on  northern  railroads,  there  is 
generally  less  of  other  work  to  be  done  than  during 
the  balance  of  the  year.  A  section  well  gaged  once 
can  easily  be  kept  in  that  condition  ever  after. 

Before  commencing  to  gage  track  out  of  a  face, 
the  Foreman  should  get  all  the  necessary  tools  in  good 
condition,  have  ready  two  good  spike  mauls,  two  claw 
bars  for  pulling  spikes,  a  good  sharp  adze  for  dressing 
a  surface  for  the  rail  on  the  ties,  two  standard  gages, 
one  for  gaging  the  track  and  one  for  testing  the  gage 
of  track  before  pulling  the  spikes;  also  a  good  sup- 
ply of  track  spikes  and  wooden  plugs  to  put  in  the 
old  spike  holes. 

If  there  are  any  very  bad  places  on  the  section,  be- 
gin gaging  these  first,  but  if  the  average  is  the  same 
throughout,  it  is  best  to  work  from  one  or  both  ends 
continuously,  marking  every  evening  where  you  leave 
off  work  for  the  day. 

When  you  arrive  on  the  ground  to  commence  work, 
take  out  all  short  kinks  on  the  line  side  and  spike  the 
rails  to  the  line,  and  have  your  men  knock  down  all 
loose  spikes  on  that  side  of  the  track  before  bringing 
the  opposite  side  to  gage. 

The  Foreman  should  take  one  gage  and  test  all  the 
track  ahead  of  the  men  gaging,  and  mark  all  ties 
where  spikes  have  to  be  pulled.  Keep  only  enough 
spikes  pulled  on  the  gage  side  of  the  track  to  make 
it  handy  to  adjust  the  rail  to  place  ahead  of  the  gage, 
and  have  the  track  always  ready  to  close  up  for  trains 
to  pass. 

379425 


38  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

Have  one  of  the  men  move  the  rails  to  place  ahead 
of  the  gage  with  a  lining  bar,  and  do  not  try  to  draw 
the  rail  with  the  spike  more  than  a  quarter  of  an 
inch. 

Do  not  spoil  or  waste  any  of  the  old  spikes  that  are 
fit  to  be  used  a  second  time,  and  if  the  old  spikes  are 
oily  or  greasy  throw  a  little  dirt  or  sand  on  the  head 
of  the  spike  when  you  tack  it  in  the  tie.  This  will 
prevent  the  spike  maul  from  slipping  off  the  sprke 
when  driving  it.  Measure  the  gage  and  be  sure  it 
is  of  the  correct  length,  four  feet  eight  and  one-half 
inches,  and  if  it  is  an  iron  gage  and  the  end  lugs 
touch  the  joint  fastenings,  grind  or  file  them  off,  taper- 
ing so  that  nothing  but  the  rail  will  touch  the  gage 
when  placed  across  the  track.  The  exact  amount  of 
labor  expended  at  gaging  track  should  be  charged 
daily  on  the  work  journal,  and  the  foremen's  time 
should  be  included  in  the  cost  when  making  estimates 
of  the  cost  per  mile  of  section. 

If  the  gage  of  track  on  a  section  is  not  very  bad, 
a  foreman  and  two  laborers  will  gage  an  average 
of  one-sixth  of  a  mile  per  day.  Gaging  and  spike- 
lining  a  section  of  track  well  during  the  winter,  be- 
sides improving  the  track  at  that  time,  will  enable  the 
foreman  to  put  a  first-class  line  on  the  whole  section 
during  the  following  summer,  and  will  materially 
ligthen  his  other  work. 

LOOSE  SPIKES. 

5.  A  Section  Foreman  should  be  particular  to  keep 
all  loose  spikes  on  his  section  driven  down  in  the  ties, 
and  tight  against  the  rails.  The  majority  of  the  fore- 
men are  not  so  careful  in  this  respect  as  they  should 


NEW    ROAD.  39 

be.  Loose  spikes  in  soft  ties,  where  track  is  not  level, 
leave  the  rail  at  that  place  liable  to  be  turned  over 
and  cause  a  wreck.  You  cannot  keep  track  in  good 
Hue  with  loose  spikes,  and  green  men,  tamping  loose 
ties  when  surfacing,  lose  considerable  time  holding 
up  the  ties.  These  often  spring  up  the  center  of  the 
rail,  spoiling  the  surface  and  making  it  necessary  to 
go  over  the  work  a  second  time. 

EESPIKING   TIES. 

6.  Whenever  it  is  necessary  to  pull  the  spikes  out 
of  ties  in  the  track,  changing  rails  or  at  other  repair 
work,  and  you  find  that  the  old  spike  holes  in  the  ties 
will  do  for  spiking  the  second  time  without  changing 
the  gage  of  the  track,  do  not  use  a  fresh  place  in  the 
ties  to  drive  the  spikes,  but  plug  the  old  hole  with  a 
chip  and  drive  the  spikes  as  they  were  before  pulling. 
Ties  soon  rot  and  break  off  under  the  rail  where  spikes 
have  been  driven  in  different  places  in  the  same  tie, 
while  the  balance  of  the  tie  may  be  good  sound  wood. 

TO   KEEP   TIES   SQUARE   ACROSS   THE   TRACK. 

7.  All  ties  should  be  spiked  in  a  position  square 
across   the  track,  especially  when  laying  new  track, 
which  is  to  remain  some  time  without  being  surfaced 
up  or  ballasted.     The  spikes  should  be  driven  in  the 
ties  in  such  a  manner  that  they  will  hold  the  ties  in 
place,  otherwise  the  ties  will  be   twisted  out  of  their 
proper  position   and  affect   the   gage   of  the   track. 
Spikes  should  be  driven  with  both  inside  spikes,  or 
the  two  outside  spikes,  on  the  same  edge  of  the  tie. 
whether  ahead  or  behind.     This  prevents  the  ties  from 
twisting  out  of  square. 

TRACK   NOT   FULL   SPIKED. 

8.  When  any  side  track  or  main  track  is  not  full 


40  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

spiked  on  the  inside  of  the  rails,  the  Foreman  in 
charge  of  it  should  examine  closely  all  places  where 
the  ties  have  commenced  to  decay,  and  when  he  finds 
a  double  or  full  spiked  tie  rotted,  should  remove  the 
inside  spike  in  the  rotten  tie,  and  drive  it  inside  the 
rail  in  the  next  single  spiked  tie.  This  is  very  im- 
portant in  the  winter,  or  when  the  rotten  ties  cannot 
all  be  taken  out  of  the  track,  because,  where  two  full 
spiked  ties  are  rotted  close  together,  and  the  track  is 
only  half  spiked  inside  the  rails,  the  distance  along 
the  rails  to  where  spikes  are  effective  is  from  eight  to 
twelve  feet. 

This  is  one  of  the  best  arguments  in  favor  of  full 
spiking  all  track,  but  as  a  matter  of  economy,  side 
tracks  might  be.  excepted,  beyond  the  switch  leads. 

SPIKING   BRIDGE   TIES. 

9.  Holes  should  be  bored  in  bridge  ties  along  side 
where  the  flanges  of  the  rails  would  come,  for  the  track 
spikes  to  be  driven  into.  The  holes  should  be  one- 
sixteenth  of  an  inch  smaller  in  diameter  than  the 
spikes  used.  Making  the  holes  in  the  ties  a  little 
smaller  than  the  spikes,  allows  the  wood  to  close  up 
the  hole  around  the  spike  when  driven,  and  gives  the 
spike  a  more  secure  hold  upon  the  tie  than  if  the  hole 
was  bored  the  full  diameter  of  the  spike.  There  is 
always  danger  of  spliting  bridge  ties  when  the  track 
spikes  are  driven  into  them  without  first  boring  the 
holes,  because  the  grain  of  the  wrood  seldom  runs 
lengthways  of  the  ties,  and  the  work  of  repairing  can 
always  be  done  easier  where  the  holes  have  been  bored 
for  the  track  spike,  especially  in  oak  ties. 

I  favor  the  general  use  on  railroads  of  a  track  and 
guard  rail  gage  combined,  made  by  putting  a  lug  or 


NEW    EOAD.  41 

projection  on  one  end  of  the  gage  inside  the  track  rail. 
This  lug  should  be  the  proper  width  to  fit  between  the 
track  rail,  and  guard  rail  opposite  the  point  of  the  frog, 
in  order  to  gage  the  wheel  channel  to  a  uniform  stand- 
ard on  all  switches.  . 


SPRING  TRAC5K  WORK, 
CHAPTEK  II. 

1,  Spring  Track  Work— 2,  Washouts— 3.  Repairing  Track— 4,  On  Long  Sec- 
tions Ballasted  With  E  rth— 5,  Dressing  Mud  Track— 6,  Lining  Old 
Track— 7,  Bolts  That  are  Too  Tight— 8,  Removing  old  Track  Bolts— 9, 
Changes  of  Temperature— 10,  Line  of  Bridges— ll,Repairing  Bridg,  s— 
12,  The  Ends  of  Bridges— 13  Ditching— 14,  Width  and  Shape  of 
Ditches— 15,  Slope  of  Ditches— 16,  Grade  of  Ditches— 17,  Cleaning  of 
Ditches— 18,  A  Ditching  Rule— 19,  Track  Drainage— 80,  Culverts  and 
Bridges— 21  Grading  Outs. 

1.  When  the  frost  is  leaving  the  ground  in  the 
spring,  Track  Foremen  should  remember  to  do  all  the 
little  odd  jobs  which  have  been  left  over  or  neg- 
lected during  the  winter,  on  account  of  frost  and  snow. 
Following  are  some  of  the  most  important  rules: 

Clean  up  the  station  grounds  and  tracks,  and  pile  up 
neatly  all  track  material  or  other  material  which  may 
be  scattered  about  the  premises. 

Gather  up  all  trash,  cinders,  old  straw  and  manure 
from  company  stock  yards,  and  haul  it  out  to  fill  up 
low  places  or  holes  on  the  right  of  way,  or  burn  it,  if 
necessary. 

All  switches  and  leads  should  be  spiked  into  proper 
gage  and  line,  and  battered  rails  replaced  by  good 
ones. 

Guard  rails  and  frogs  should  be  examined,  and  any 
defects  in  them  remedied,  or  new  ones  ordered  to  re- 
place them. 


SPRING   TRACK   WORK.  43 

All  track  ties  on  hand  should  be  loaded  on  cars,  and 
distributed  along  the  section,  where  they  would  be 
most  needed  on  the  track,  to  have  them  ready  when 
the  time  comes  for  putting  them  in. 

All  loose  boards  on  snow  fences  should  be  nailed 
up,  and  right  of  way  fences  should  be  examined  and 
repaired,  especially  in  low  places  or  where  they  cross 
water  courses. 

Loose  plank  in  wagon  crossings  should  be  taken  up 
and  cleaned  underneath,  and  ragged  or  split  ends 
should  be  dressed  with  the  adze,  and  then  respiked  to 
place. 

The  approaches  to  all  highway  crossings  should  be 
filled  up  and  fixed,  so  that  teams  would  have  no  trouble 
in  crossing  the  track. 

All  fence  posts,  crossing  signs,  whistling  posts  and 
telegraph  poles,  should  be  put  in  correct  position  and 
tamped  solid. 

Shimmed  track  should  be  watched,  and  very  thick 
shims  should  be  replaced  by  thinner  ones  as  fast  as 
the  heaving  goes  down,  and  all  shims  should  be  re- 
moved from  track  as  soon  as  it  is  possible  to  spike  the 
rails  to  the  proper  surface. 

Go  over  the  section  and  tighten  up  all  loose  bolts, 
putting  on  them  nut  locks  or  washers  where  necessary, 
and  put  in  good  bolts  in  place  of  broken  ones. 

Look  out  for  soft  places  in  your  track,  and  repair  to 
the  best  of  your  ability,  notifying  Train  Dispatcher  and 
Roadmaster  when  any  such  places  become  dangerous, 
and  make  ditches  in  wet  cuts  to  carry  off  the  water, 
widening  them  or  increasing  their  depth  as  the  frost 
goes  out. 

The  different  kinds  of  work  mentioned   above,  if 


44  THE  TEACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

looked  after  now,  will  enable  the  track  Foreman  to 
make  much  better  headway  when  the  rush  of  summer 
work  begins. 

WASHOUTS. 

2.  The  time  of  year  is  now  at  hand  when  thawing, 
snow  and  rain,  combine  to  increase  the  quantity  of 
water  above  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  as  the  frost 
goes  out  of  the  ground  but  slowly,  at  best,  there  is  al- 
ways danger  to  a  railroad  from  the  accumulation  of 
too  much  water  at  one  place.  This  may  damage  the 
track  by  undermining  or  washing  away  its  supports; 
or  by  loosening  the  earth  on  hillsides  along  the  track, 
it  may  cause  quantities  of  earth,  stones,  or  trees  to  fall 
or  slide  upon  the  track. 

Section  Foremen  should  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for 
washouts  at  all  points  on  their  sections. 

Ditches  should  be  opened  up,  and  water-ways 
cleared  of  all  obstructions,  and  all  track,  trestles, 
bridges  and  culverts  should  be  examined  every  day 
without  fail.  Where  there  is  liable  to  be  any  trouble 
the  Section  Foreman  should  remain  out  with  his  men 
day  or  night,  and  do  all  in  his  power  to  keep  the  track 
safe,  always  remembering  that  upon  the  vigilance  of 
himself  and  men,  may  depend  the  lives  of  trainmen 
and  passengers. 

In  case  of  a  dangerous  storm  the  Foreman,  if  his 
section  extends  both  ways  from  his  headquarters, 
should  send  a  man  over  the  short  end  of  it  with  in- 
structions to  reach  the  section  limit  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble, and  to  remain  there  and  use  the  necessary  signals 
to  flag  trains  should  he  find  anything  dangerous  on  the 
way  out.  The  Foreman  should  go  as  rapidly  as  pos- 


SPRING    TRACK   WORK.  45 

Bible  in  the  opposite  direction  towards  the  other  end 
of  his  section,  leaving  a  man  a  sufficient  distance 
ahead  of  the  first  break  or  washout  to  flag  trains  fol- 
lowing, in  case  they  are  able  to  get  over  the  other  end 
of  the  section  safely.  The  Foreman  should  note  the 
location  and  dimensions  of  all  places  needing  repair; 
but  he  should  not  stop  to  do  any  work  until  the  end 
of  the  section  is  reached,  and  the  men  have  each  been 
posted  to  remain  and  flag  trains  for  all  the  dangerous 
places  found. 

The  Foreman  should  then  go  to  the  nearest  tele- 
graph office  and  report  jointly  to  the  Headmaster  and 
Train  Dispatcher,  stating  fully  the  condition  of  the 
track  on  his  section,  giving  location  and  dimensions 
of  all  breaks  in  roadbed  or  track,  bridge  and  culvert 
numbers,  number  of  bents  destroyed  in  bridges,  and 
any  other  information  which  would  be  valuable  as  a 
basis  from  which  to  calculate  the  amount  of  material 
or  force  necessary  to  put  the  track  in  good  condition. 

This  will  insure  the  safety  of  trains,  and  enable  the 
Train  Dispatcher  to  hold  them  at  convenient  points 
until  the  track  is  passable,  and  the  Roadmaster  and 
bridge  men  will  be  prepared  to  get  the  work  done 
without  delay. 

After  reporting  the  condition  of  your  section  you 
can  go  to  work  repairing  small  breaks  at  points  where 
a  large  gang  of  men  could  not  work  to  advantage,  but 
do  not  call  away  your  men  who  are  flagging  at  dan- 
gerous places,  until  you  are  positive  that  there  is  no 
possibility  of  trains  passing  there,  or  the  Roadmaster 
has  arrived  with  extra  force  to  protect  and  repair  such 
.places. 

Instances   have    occurred    where    Foremen    have 


46  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

stopped  to  repair  the  first  bad  spot  found,  and  allowed 
trains  to  run  in  other  bad  places  on  their  section.  It 
is  always  the  Foreman's  duty  first  to  protect  those  de- 
pendent upon  him  for  safety,  and  then  to  notify  su- 
perior officers  of  the  condition  of  their  sections.  If 
the  whole  of  the  track  on  your  section  is  safe,  send  re- 
port to  that  effect  so  that  trains  will  not  be  delayed 
by  slowly  feeling  their  way  over  it. 

REPAIRING  TRACK. 

3.  When  track  is  being  repaired  which  has  become 
rough  or  uneven,  all  low  places  should  be  brought 
up  to  surface  and  both  rails  on  straight  track  should 
be  level,  and  on  curves  the  elevation  should  be  uni- 
form to  suit  the  degree  of  the  curve.     How  to  find  this 
degree,  instructions  are  given  on  another  page. 

ON   LONG   SECTIONS   BALLASTED   WITH   EARTH. 

4.  When  a  section  is  long  and  a  Foreman  is  allowed 
only  a  small  force  of  men  to  keep  it  in  repair,  it  is  not 
a  good  policy  to  surface  a  track  out  of  a  face  (as 
should  be  done  when  putting  in  gravel.)     A  Section 
Foreman,  if  forced  through  necessity  to  get  up  to  sur- 
face a  rough  piece  of  track  with  a  small  force,  can  do 
so  in  a  short  time  by  adhering  closely  to  the  follow- 
ing instructions,  which  are  only  intended  for  Section 
Foremen  with  long  sections,  a  track  laid  on  clay,  and 
a  very  limited  number  of  men  for  help.     For  exam- 
ple, we  will  say  a  Section  Foreman  is  allowed  only  four 
men  on  a  ten  mile  section.     Select  the  roughest  part 
of  your  section,  give  one  man  a  shovel,  another  the 
track  lever  or  jack,  keep  these  two  men  with  you;  the 
man  with  the  shovel  to  dig  block  hole  for  lever,  and 
assist  in  raising  the  low  places  wherever  it  is  neces- 


SPRING   TEACK   WORK.  47 

sary.  When  you  find  a  place  that  needs  raising,  stoop 
down  and  sight  the  rail.  Take  an  estimate  in  your 
mind  of  how  low  the  place  in  the  rail  is  which  you 
have  sighted  below  the  proper  surface,  also  count  the 
number  of  ties  running  each  way  from  the  lowest 
point.  Then  tell  your  two  men  to  raise  that  part  of 
the  rail  which  is  the  lowest,  and  when  it  is  up  about 
four  or  five  inches,  or  so  high  that  dirt  can  be  easily 
thrown  under,  take  your  own  shovel  and  throw  under 
each  tie  the  exact  amount  of  dirt  that  you  think  is 
necessary  to  bring  it  up  to  a  proper  surface.  To  do 
this  work  properly,  so  that  it  will  hold  track  up  for 
some  time,  the  dirt  should  be  thrown  under  the  ties  a 
little  at  a  time,  and  as  far  as  it  can  be  put  towards  the 
center  of  the  track.  Because,  if  the  dirt  is  thrown 
only  under  the  ends  of  the  ties,  a  hole  is  left  under 
the  middle  of  the  tie  inside  of  the  rail,  which  will  fill 
with  water  when  it  rains  and  become  worse  than  be- 
fore. But  if  the  rules  here  laid  down  are  followed  out 
properly,  a  Section  Foreman  of  ordinary  intelligence, 
after  a  little  practice,  may  become  an  expert  at  this 
kind  of  work,  and  make  as  good  a  track  as  by  tamping 
it  in  the  regular  way.  A  Foreman  can  get  over  about 
one-quarter  of  a  mile  in  a  day,  in  good  weather.  It 
is  best  for  a  man  who  has  never  tried  this  method  to 
practice  on  very  low  joints.  As  to  the  other  two  men 
of  the  four,  they  should  be  left  to  follow  up,  dressing 
the  track,  filling  the  block  holes,  etc.  About  two 
hours  before  quitting  time  the  Foreman  should  stop 
raising,  take  the  four  men,  and  line  up  the  piece  of 
track  which  he  has  raised,  leaving  a  perfect  line  on 
the  line  side;  he  should  then  let  two  men  dress  the 
center  of  the  track,  while  the  other  two  take  a  gage 


48  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

and  spike  maul,  and  bring  all  crooked  places  in  the 
gage  side  to  the  proper  line  and  gage.  After  a  Sec- 
tion Foreman  has  gone  over  his  whole  section  in  this 
way,  the  track  will  be  greatly  improved  and  will  look 
as  good  as  the  average  dirt  surfaced  road.  Now  sup- 
posing the  Foreman  has  got  so  far  along  with  his  work 
as  to  have  his  section  all  surfaced  up  in  the  aforesaid 
way,  he  can  go  back  and  pick  up  small  sags  wherever 
he  can  procure  enough  dirt  to  bring  them  up  to  sur- 
face. These  sags  should  be  surfaced  out  of  a  face  and 
tamped  and  allowance  made  for  track  settling.  When 
a  rail  on  one  side  of  the  track  is  sighted  the  Section 
Foreman  should  use  the  spirit  level  to  bring  the  op- 
posite rail,  which  is  raised  up  to  surface. 

DRESSING   MUD   TRACK. 

5.  When  you  fill  in  track  with  dirt,  have  your  men 
throw  the  material  in  the  center  of  the  track.     It  is 
much  easier  to  dress  it  then,  than  if  it  is  thrown  along 
just  inside  of  the  rail  in  a  slovenly  manner.     Round 
the  dirt  off,  leaving  the  center  about  two  and  a  half 
inches  above  the  tie.     Cover  about  two  feet  six  inches 
of  the  center  of  the-ties  between  the  rails,  sloping  the 
dirt  from  the  center  so  that  a  shovel  blade  can  easily 
be  passed  up  under  the  rails  between  the  ties  arid  al- 
low the  water  to  run  off.     Continue  the  slope  until  it 
runs  out  at  the  bottom  of  the  ends  of  the  ties.     Out- 
side of  the  ties  the  shoulder  should  slope  one  and 
a  half  inches  to  the  foot,  as  far  as  the  edge  of  the  em- 
bankment.    In  a  dry  country  the  filling  may  be  al- 
lowed to  come  up  higher  between  the  ends  of  ties. 

LINING  OLD   TRACK. 

6.  When  a  railroad  is  in  operation  the  track  should 


SPRING  TRACK   WORK.  49 

be  kept  in  perfect  line  at  all  times.  Nothing  con- 
tributes more  to  the  smooth  riding  of  a  train  than  a 
true  line  of  rails.  The  Foreman,  when  lining  track, 
should  line  as  much  as  possible  with  his  back  to  the 
sun,  because  in  that  way  he  gets  the  best  view  of  the 
rails.  It  is  also  necessary  to  look  at  the  track  line 
from  the  opposite  direction,  especially  when  lining 
across  a  sag.  Very  few  trackmen  can  line  track  per- 
fectly by  going  over  it  only  once,  unless  they  are  ex- 
perts and  have  perfect  sight.  Always  stand  as  far 
away  from  the  place  to  be  lined  as  your  sight  will  al- 
low, and  train  your  men  to  line  by  the  motion  of  your 
hands,  when  first  putting  the  rails  in  place.  By  stand- 
ing too  close  to  the  place  to  be  lined,  you  are  liable  to 
throw  a  swing  in  the  line  to  one  side  of  the  track. 
This  is  a  fault  of  many  Foremen  and  should  be  avoided. 
If  you  have  a  section  which  the  previous  Foreman 
left  in  bad  line,  show  your  ability  by  remedying  its 
defects  in  that  particular  every  time  you  have  an  op- 
portunity. If  a  Foreman  has  some  track  on  his  sec- 
tion which  has  settled  down  and  out  of  line,  where  the 
ground  is  wet  or  soft,  and  he  has  not  the  force  of  men 
necessary  to  move  it,  the  work  of  putting  it  to  place 
can  be  done  with  a  small  gang,  by  pulling  the  spikes 
out  of  two  or  three  ties  in  a  rail  length  at  a  time,  and 
using  the  lining  bars  on  top  of  the  dead  ties  under  the 
rails,  thereby  gaining  a  solid  foundation  to  rest  the 
bars  upon,  and  much  more  leverage  than  could  be  got 
with  the  bars  in  the  ground.  After  the  track  has  been 
lined  to  place,  the  dead  ties  can  be  shifted  to  their 
proper  position  or  the  rails  can  be  spiked  down  on  them 
temporarily  as  they  lay.  When  the  track  has  a  ten- 
dency to  slip  back  out  of  line,  the  dead  ties  act  as  a 


50  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

brace  to  keep  it  in  position.  Very  heavy  track  can 
be  lined  over  to  where  it  is  wanted  with  a  force  of  only 
two  men  by  using  a  track  lever  or  long  bar  on  top  of 
a  block  of  wood  with  a  rounding  top  surface.  Place 
this  block  underneath  the  rail  on  that  side  of  the  track 
towards  which  it  is  desired  to  line  it  to.  By  pulling 
down  on  the  lever  a  lifting  pull  is  exerted,  which  draws 
the  track  towards  that  side,  and  with  the  assistance  of 
another  man  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  track  pulling 
in  the  same  direction  with  a  common  lining  bar,  the 
track  can  be  lined  to  place.  Foremen  whose  eye-sight 
is  not  equal  to  the  task,  can  assist  themselves  when 
lining  long  stretches  of  track  by  placing  clods  of  dirt 
or  other  small  objects  along  on  top  of  rail  joints  where 
the  track  has  to  be  moved.  It  is  much  easier  to  get 
the  small,  dark  objects  into  a  true  line,  on  account  of 
the  contrast  between  them  and  the  rail,  than  it  is  to 
line  perfectly  a  long  stretch  of  rail,  with  its  brightly 
polished  and  unbroken  surface.  Some  of  the  instruct- 
ion here  given  as  to  track  lining  may  seem  unimport- 
ant, but  a  knowledge  of  how  to  act  in  certain  cases  is 
often  the  want  of  a  trackman,  and  to  the  young  man 
not  much  experienced  or  learned  in  the  track  service, 
they  will  be  found  a  valuable  help. 

BOLTS  THAT  ARE  TOO  TIGHT. 

7.  Some  Trackmen  think  that  all  bolts  should  be 
kept  as  tight  as  it  is  possible  to  make  them.  But  it  is 
an  error  any  Trackman  will  fall  into,  until  he  is  con- 
vinced to  the  contrary.  There  are  several  kinds  of  nut 
locks  for  track  bolts  in  use  on  the  railroads  through- 
out the  United  States,  the  majority  of  which  are  de- 
vised for  the  purpose  of  locking  the  nut,  and,  at  the 


SPRING  TRACK   WORK.  51 

same  time,  allowing  the  rails  to  contract  or  expand  af- 
ter the  bolts  are  tightened  without  danger  of  breaking 
the  bolts.  But  the  Section  Foreman  and  his  men 
come  along,  and  tighten  up  all  the  bolts  on  the  sec- 
tion, even  if  they  can  only  make  a  quarter  of  a  turn 
with  the  wrench.  In  fact,  many  Foremen  add  pieces 
to  the  ends  of  the  track  wrenches,  so  that  the  men  may 
be  able  to  get  more  leverage,  and  as  a  result  of  their 
labor  everything  on  a  joint  in  the  shape  of  a  nut,  lock, 
or  washer,  whether  it  be  iron,  or  steel,  or  wood,  or  rub- 
ber, has  every  particle  of  spring  or  elasticity  taken 
out  of  it,  and  the  bolts  all  stand  ready,  the  moment  a 
train  passes  or  a  change  in  the  temperature  comes,  to 
pop  off,  as  they  break  like  so  many  candy  sticks  and 
numbers  of  them  can  be  found  along  the  track.  Many 
of  the  nut  locks  which  are  used  as  above  are  no  longer 
of  any  value  except  as  washers  to  cover  a  few  threads 
of  the  bolt.  A  joint  with  either  four  or  six  bolts  in  it, 
with  a  spring  nut  lock  on  each  bolt,  should  have  the 
nuts  tightened  just  enough  to  get  the  full  force  of  the 
resistance  of  the  material  used  for  a  washer  between 
the  nut  and  splice.  A  comfortable  twist  of  the  track 
wrench  with  the  hand,  after  the  nut  is  run  up  to  place 
will  be  found  sufficient  force  to  use  when  tightening 
bolts.  When  bolts  are  tightened  in  this  way  and  there 
are  angle  bar  splices  used  on  the  rail  joint  slot  spiked 
to  the  ties  all  danger  of  the  bolts  or  rails  being  in- 
jured is  avoided,  and  the  rails  can  contract  or  expand 
without  track  creeping.  A  slot  spike  through  the  rail 
flange  in  a  tie  with  the  bolts  in  the  joint  as  tight  as 
they  can  be  made  will  either  break  the  bolt  or  kink  the 
rail  near  the  spike,  or  throw  the  track  out  of  line  in 
hot  weather.  To  prevent  Trackmen  from  breaking 


52  THE  TRACKMAN*^  HELPER. 

bolts  when  tiglitehing  them,  track  wrenches  should 
not  be  made  longer  than  sixteen  inches  for  f  in.  bolts. 

REMOVING    OLD    TRACK   BOLTS. 

8.  When  removing  old   track  bolts  from  a   joint 
splice,  Foremen  should  not  allow  their  men  to  strike 
the  thread  end  of  the  bolts  with  a  wrench,  a  hammer,  or 
any  tool  that  would  injure  the  bolt.     Such  usage  spoils 
the  bolts  for  further  service.     Nor  should  Foremen 
allow  their  men  to  break  the  bolts  out  of  a  joint  ex- 
cept in  a  case  of  emergency,  such  as  to  get  ready  for 
an  expected  train,  or  when  a  large  gang  of  men,  ready 
for  work,  might  be  delayed  too  long  by  waiting  to  re- 
move a  few  bolts  with  a  wrench.     The  nut  should  not 
be  entirely  removed  from  the  bolt  while  in  the  splice 
until  the  bolt  is  loosened.     A  light  tap  on  the  nut 
when  nearly  off  will  loosen  the  bolt  in  the  splice  with- 
out injuring  the  thread.     The  threads  of  the  old  bolts 
should  be  oiled,  and  then  nuts  put  back  on  the  bolts 
again,  so  as  to  have  them  ready  to  use  when  wanted. 

CHANGES   OF    TEMPERATURE. 

9.  All  sudden  changes  of  temperature   affect  the 
bolts  in  the  rail  joints  on  account  of  the  expansion  or 
contraction  of  the  rails.     This  is  most  noticeable  in 
the  spring  and  fall  of  the  year.     Foremen  should  not 
neglect   to  tighten  up  the  bolts  when  they  begin  to 
rattle  as  trains  pass  over,  or  at  any  time  when  it  is 
necessary.     Always  remember  that  loose  bolts  make 
low  joints,  and  increase  the  labor  of  track  repair. 

LINE   OF    BRIDGES. 

10.  Section  Foremen  should  be  particular  to  keep 
the  rails  on  all  bridges  in  good  line,  especially  when 


SPRING  TRACK  WORK.  03 

they  heave  up  or  out  of  line  in  winter;  also  keep  a 
good  line  and  surface  on  the  approaches. 

REPAIRING   BRIDGES. 

11.  All  repair  work  on  bridges  should  be  done  by 
bridge  men  or  those  who  have  charge  of  such  work. 
Section   Foremen   should   not  attempt  to    raise   up 
stringers  or  caps  on  bridges,  or  do  any  other  work  on 
bridges  for  which  they  have  not  the  proper  tools  or 
the   necessary   practice   to  perform.     In  absence   of 
bridge  carpenters  Section  Foremen  can  shim  up  the 
approaches  of  bridges  when  out   of  surface,  or  put 
blocking  under  stringers  which  have  become  loose  on 
pile  bridges,  etc.     All  shimming  should  be  done  on 
top  of  ties  when  practicable. 

THE   ENDS   OF   BRIDGES. 

12.  The  ends  of  all   pile   or  frame  bent  bridges 
should  be  planked  and  filled  in  with  ballast,  and  all 
dump  ties  should  be  tamped  solid,  up  to  the  ends  of 
the  bridges.     Whenever  it  is  practicable  the  end  of  a 
bridge  and  the  dump  should  meet  under  the  center  of 
the  track  rails  laid  over  them,  because  when  a  rail  joint 
comes  on  the  dump  close  to  the  end  of  a  bridge,  it  is 
always  more  difficult  to  keep  the  track  up  to  a  good 
surface  than  if  the  center  of  a  rail  were  there. 

*** 

DITCHING. 

13.  In  order  to  ditch   a  cut  properly,  a  Foreman 
should  take  measurements  from  the  rail  to  the  bottom 
of  the  face  of  the  cut,  at  different  places  along  the  cut, 
and  ascertain  at  what  average  distance  from  the  track 
it  will  be  best  to  have  the  back  of  the  ditch.     This  is 
very  important,  because  in  the  majority  of  cuts  on  a 
railroad  the  line  of  face  is  more  or  less  irregular  and 


54  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

not  truly  parallel  to  the  track,  and  the  best  distance 
from  the  track  for  the  back  of  a  ditch  is  that  distance 
which  will  give  a  good  ditch  without  moving  too  great 
an  amount  of  material.  After  a  Foreman  has  decided 
what  width  the  ditch  should  be,  he  should  line  it  with 
the  shovel  or  drive  stakes  along  the  back  of  it,  for  his 
men  to  work  by;  otherwise  they  will  be  apt  to  make  it 
crooked.  Nothing  is  more  unsightly  than  a  crooked 
ditch,  and  it  will  fill  up  much  quicker  than  a  straight 
one.  The  ditch  should  always  be  a  little  deeper  at  the 
•lower  end  of  the  cut,  and  gradually  grow  shallower  as 
it  goes  up  grade.  If  you  ditch  parts  of  two  or  three 
cuts  on  your  section  at  different  times,  each  of  the 
cuts  will  have  some  time  to  drain  off,  the  material  in 
the  ditches  will  be  dryer  and  in  better  condition  to 
work  in,  and  men  can  do  more  than  if  they  were  kept 
in  one  very  wet  cut  all  the  time.  Where  water  leaves 
a  cut  through  a  ditch,  the  ditch  should  be  well  turned 
off  from  the  track.  Always  carry  the  discharge  end 
of  a  ditch  so  far  away  from  the  track  that  there  will  be 
no  danger  of  water  from  the  ditch  washing  out  the  em- 
bankment under  the  track.  Foremen  should  always 
select  for  ditching  a  time  of  the  year  when  the  weather 
is  not  fair  enough  to  do  other  track  work.  Some  Fore- 
men use  very  poor  judgment  in  this  matter,  sometimes 
spending  two  or  three  weeks  in  making  a  ditch  during 
good  dry  weather,  while  there  is  a  great  amount  of  bad 
track  on  their  section  which  needs  to  be  put  in  good 
repair. 

WIDTH  AND  SHAPE  OF  DITCHES. 

14.  The  width  of  a  cut  and  the  slope  of  its  face  on 
each  side  of  the  track  must  always  govern,  to  a  certain 
extent,  how  far  from  the  track  rails  to  have  the  back 


SPRING    TRACK   WORK.  55 

of  a  ditch,  All  railroad  cuts  should  be  open  so  wide 
when  the  track  is  first  laid  that  there  will  be  room  to 
make  all  ditches  a  uniform  distance  from  the  rail.  A 
ditch  should  be  deep  enough  to  thoroughly  drain  the 
track,  and  the  distance  from  the  rail  to  the  back  of  the 
ditch  should  be  in  porportion  to  the  depth  of  the  ditch, 
giving  the  water  an  easy  fall  from  the  track  and  free 
passage  through  the  ditch,  so  that  there  will  be  no 
danger  of  its  washing  the  shoulder  of  the  grade,  or  un- 
dermining the  track.  Deep  ditches  close  to  the  track 
in  a  cut,  soon  weaken  the  foundation,  and  wash  away 
the  ballast  outside  the  ties,  especially  where  the  bal- 
last is  sand  or  gravel.  The  bottom  of  a  ditch  should 
be  ten  feet  from  the  rails  where  the  grade  width  will 
allow  it,  and  should  also  be  two  feet  below  the  bottom 
of  the  ties. 

SLOPE  OF   DITCHES. 

15.  When  track  is  ballasted  with  dirt  the  slope 
should  commence  in  the  center  of  the  track,  two  and 
one-half  inches  above  the  ties,  and  run  out  for  a  dis- 
tance of  seven  feet,  falling  at  the  rate  of  one  and  one- 
half  inches  to  the  foot.  From  this  point,  which  is  three 
feet  outside  the  ties,  and  two  inches  lower,  the  incline 
should  be  greater,  about  in  the  porportion  of  four  inches 
or  more  to  the  horizontal  foot.  §  It  is  a  mistake  to 
run  the  slope  from  the  bottom  of  the  ends  of  the  ties, 
directly  to  the  back  of  the  ditch,  as  some  Trackmen 
do,  because  when  the  track  is  raised  up  to  put  ballast 
under  it,  the  inclination  of  the  foundation  beneath  it 
will  be  too  sharp  to  protect  the  ballast  from  wasting 

§.  Ditches  which  are  made  to  conform  to  this  shape  are  easily  cleaned 
«-ut.  They  are  quicker  made,  HII-I  there  is  mac-'  e«  dirt  to  he  moved  than 
when  the  ditch  is  made  dish  form,  because  the  water  is  always  thrown 
away  from  the  track. 


THE  TKACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


SPRING   TRACK   WORK.  57 

or  washing  away.  If  a  track  is  ballasted  with  gravel, 
the  slope  towards  the  back  of  the  ditch  should  com- 
mence about  two  feet  outside  the  track  rails,  as  shown 
in  Fig.  5,  the  ballast  at  this  point  being  nearly  level 
with  the  base  of  the  rails. 

GRADE  OF   DITCHES. 

16.  If  a  cut  is  level  throughout  its   length,  the 
ditch  should  be  deeper  at  the  ends  than  at  the  middle. 
Where  the  grade  of  a  cut  descends  towards  the  ends 
from  the  center,  the  average  depth  of  the  ditch  may 
be  the  same  throughout  the  cut.     Trackmen  should 
always  begin  to  ditch  at  the  lower  end  of  a  wet  cut, 
and  finish  up  as  they  go.     The  piece  ditched  every  day 
will  help  to  drain  off  the  water  behind  them. 

CLEANING  OUT   DITCHES. 

17.  No  old  ties  or  other  obstructions  should  ever 
be  allowed  to  remain  in  the  ditches  along  the  track. 
All  ditches  should  be  cleaned  out  thoroughly  every 
fall  and  the  last  thing  before  winter  sets  in,  so  that 
during  the  continuance  of  the  spring  rains  or  while 
snow  is  melting,  the  water  can  pass  off  freely  without 
injuring  the  track.     A  small  ditch  made  with  a  plow 
along  the  top  of  the  side  of  a  deep  cut,  and  near  the 
edge  of  its  face,  will  carry  off  the  surface  water,  and 
protect  the  side  of  the  cut  from   washing  into  the 
track  ditches  and  filling  them  up  too  rapidly. 

A   DITCHING   RULE.    J 

18.  A  simple  device  like  that  shown  in  Fig.  6,  is 
very  handy  for  Foremen  to  use  when  ditching.     It 
can  be  made  as  follows:     Use  for  the  long  piece  a 
straight  edge  1x4  inches,  twelve  feet  long.     For  the 

t    Many  of  the  deep,  narrow,  and  wet  cuts  which  are  common  on  some 


58 


THE  TEACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


SPRING  TRACK   WORK.  59 

short  cross-piece  B,  use  a  piece  of  board  1x3  inches, 
four  feet  long.  On  one  end  of  the  long  piece  fix  a 
piece  of  sheet  iron,  0,  twelve  or  fourteen  inches  long, 
double  it,  and  bolt  the  ends  of  it  through  the  wood, 
leaving  a  space  through  which  the  short  piece,  B,  can 
be  passed  freely.  A  hole  should  be  bored  through 
the  sheet  iron,  so  that  a  set  screw  or  a  bolt  can  be  used 
to  secure  the  short  piece  at  any  distance  from  either 
end  of  it.  The  cross  piece,  B,  of  the  ditching  rule 
should  be  set  so  that  the  back  of  it  will  be  at  the 
proper  angle  for  the  back  of  the  ditch,  and  upon  one 
side  of  it  should  be  marked  the  distances  by  which  to 
regulate  the  depth  of  the  ditch.  When  in  operation, 
one  end  of  this  ditching  rule,  D,  should  rest  upon  the 
nearest  track  rail,  and  at  the  other  end  the  material 
should  be  removed  from  the  face  of  the  cut,  until  the 
cross  piece,  B,  rests  in  proper  position  to  shape  the 
ditch.  Then,  by  trying  the  spirit  level  on  top  of  the 
longer  piece,  and  adjusting  the  cross  piece  to  the  re- 
quired depth,  the  bottom  level  of  the  ditch  can  be 
carried  uniformly  throughout  the  length  of  the  cut, 
if  the  track  is  in  true  surface,  without  any  change  in  the 
rule.  Foremen  should  fit  the  rule  to  place  at  distan- 
ces of  a  rail  length,  or  less,  and  the  men, will  have  a 
guide  to  work  by,  and  can  cut  the  ditch  correctly 
without  any  additional  labor.  A  marker  can  be  put  on 
the  long  piece,  which  will  show  where  the  ditch  slope 
commences  outside  the  ends  of  the  track  ties.  If  it 

railroads,  and  which  it  has  cost  thousands  of  dollars  to  maintain  in  only 
a  passable  shape,  could  as  well  have  been  put  in  a  first  class  condition  with 
only  half  the  expense,  if  the  work  had  been  done  before  the  track  had  been 
laid.  A  number  of  the  north-western  roads  have  adopted  the  plan  of  grad- 
ing down  the  smaller  cuts  along  their  road,  with  a  gradual  slope  from  the 
bottom  of  the  ends  of  the  ties  almost  to  the  right  of  way  limits,  in  some 
cases.  This  nearly  does  away  with  shallow  cuts.  The  material  is  used  to 
strengthen  the  adjoining  fill,  and  the  track  at  that  point  is  protected  from 
snow  drifts  in  the  winter  months. 


60 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


SPRING  TRACK   WORK.  61 

is  desirable  to  lower  the  ditch,  say  twelve  inches  in  as 
many  rail  lengths,  it  is  only  necessary  to  let  the  cross 
piece,  B,  down  one  inch  every  thirty  feet  at  the  same 
time  keeping  the  long  piece  always  level  on  top.  In 
like  manner  by  shortening  up  the  cross  piece  the  ditch 
bottom  can  be  gradually  raised  or  mads  more  shallow 

TRACK    DRAINAGE. 

19.  A  thoroughly  good  drainage  is  one  of  the  most 
essential  features  of  a  first-class  track,  to  accomplish 
which,  all  the  water  which  falls  upon  the  track  or  ad- 
joining land  should  be  conducted  through  ditches, 
culverts,  bridges,  or  other  channels  to  the  nearest 
running  stream  that  will  take  it  away  beyond  possi- 
bility of  injuring  the  track. 

These  channels  for  conveying  the  water  away  from 
the  track  should  be  sufficiently  large  to  perform  the 
duty  required  of  them  as  well  during  a  freshet  as 
when  only  an  ordinary  amount  of  water  passes  through 
them.  At  all  marshy  or  low  places  where  water  re- 
mains standing  along  side  of  the  track,  openings 
should  be  made  beneath  the  track  to  allow  the  water 
to  pass  through,  and  divide  equally  on  each  side  of 
the  embankment,  and  at  such  places  the  embankment 
should  be  made  high  enough  above  the  water  to 
insure  a  solid,  dry  roadway.  The  embankment  should 
also  be  rip-rapped  along  the  sides,  if  there  is  any 
possibility  of  strong  winds  or  rapid  streams  forcing 
the  water  against  it  and  washing  the  material  away. 

In  this  connection  I  wish  to  say,  that  where  musk 
rats  or  minks  are  plentiful  and  cause  damage  to  the 
track  by  burrowing  under  it,  a  good  heavy  coating  of 
cinders  and  slag  along  the  sides  of  the  embankment 


62 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


SPRING    TRACK    WORK.  6,3 

is  a  most  effectual  protection  against  their  depreda- 
tions. Whether  the  cinders  deposit  an  acid  in  the 
water  or  are  too  sharp  for  the  animals  to  burrow 
through  I  am  unable  to  state,  but  I  have  found  cin- 
ders a  better  article  for  this  purpose  than  gravel  or 
any  of  the  different  kinds  of  earth. 

In  deep,  wet  cuts  where  the  material  has  a  tendency 
to  slide,  the  roadbed  should  be  widened  out  much  more 
than  at  any  other  point,  and  the  face  of  the  side  of 
the  cut  should  be  made  with  a  very  gradual  incline 
from  the  top  of  the  cut  to  the  track.  If  it  will  grow 
some  grass  all  the  better. 

The  work  of  widening  cuts  and  roadbeds  can  be 
done  cheaper  and  to  better  advantage  before  the  track 
is  laid  than  afterwards. 

The  bottoms  of  ditches  which  run  alongside  the 
track,  through  a  cut,  should  be  carried  not  less  than 
ten  feet  from  the  rails  on  each  side,  and  they  should 
be  as  far  below  the  bottom  of  the  track  ties  as  it  is 
possible  to  have  them,  and  retain  a  nicely  porpor- 
tioned  incline  from  the  ends  of  the  ties  to  the  back  of 
the  ditch.  Open  ditches  or  tiling  which  are  too  close 
to  the  track,  or  not  deep  enough  below  the  track  ties, 
are  only  a  make-shift  and  a  hindrance  to  maintaining 
a  good,  dry  track.  Coarse  stone  makes  a  good  founda- 
tion in  a  wet  cut,  if  laid  beneath  the  ballast  into  which 
the  ties  are  imbedded,  (but  they  can  be  dispensed 
with,  where  the  track  can  be  raised  up  above  the  mud 
'without  spoiling  the  surface  or  grade  standard}.  In 
fact,  this  latter  is  the  most  economical  method  (after 
a  track  has  been  laid)  of  draining  a  track  and  making 
a  good  ditch  at  the  same  time.  Briefly  stated,  to  drain 
the  track  in  a  cut,  the  same  conditions  must  exist,  as 


64  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

nearly  as  possible,  as  where  the  track  is  laid  in  ballast 
on  a  good,  solid  fill  or  embankment,  several  feet  above 
the  surface  of  the  ground  the  same  as  where  there  is 
no  cut. 

The  incline  of  the  sides  of  the  embankment  should 
be  a  natural  slope,  with  no  abrupt  angles.  No  earth 
embankment  can  be  prevented  from  washing  without 
artificial  means  where  the  incline  is  so  steep  that  veg- 
etation will  not  grow  upon  it. 

Instead  of  box  or  open  culverts  of  timber  I  would 
recommend  that  iron  tubing  or  vitrified  culvert  pipe 
of  a  sufficient  strength  be  substituted,  this  tubing  or 
pipe  to  be  faced  with  masonry  at  both  the  inlet  and 
outlet  of  the  pipes  on  each  side  of  the  embankment; 
and  where  the  diameter  of  these  pipes  is  too  small  to 
carry  off  all  the  water,  that  there  be  two  or  more  of 
them  laid  across  under  the  track  parallel  with  each 
other. 

I  would  also  recommend  that  where  the  conditions 
are  favorable  and  the  cost  is  not  too  great,  stone  arched 
openings  be  put  under  the  track,  with  good,  strong, 
side  walls,  a  paved  floor  and  deflecting  wings  at  both 
sides  of  the  embankment;  these  to  take  the  place,  as 
far  as  possible,  of  all  small  wooden  bridges. 

CULVERTS    AND    BRIDGES. 

20.  The  policy  of  most  railroads  in  regard  to 
bridges  and  water  ways,  as  far  as  the  writer's  exper- 
ience shows,  is  to  contract  the  limits  of  bridges  and 
trestles  as  much  as  is  practicable,  because  earth  is  a 
much  cheaper  article  to  support  the  track  where  it 
can  be  used  with  safety.  This  is  also  the  reason  why 
box  culverts  are  substituted  for  small  bridges  wher- 


SPRING   TRACK   WORK.  65 

ever  it  can  be  done,  and  at  many  places  where  it 
should  not  be  done,  as  for  instance,  at  points  where 
the  opening  is  not  large  enough  to  carry  off  the 
amount  of  water  which  must  pass  through  under  the 
track.  Then  the  culvert  generally  washes  out,  the 
earth  above  it  is  underminded,  and  the  result  is  a 
wreck  of  more  or  less  magnitude,  unless  the  trackmen 
discover  and  repair  the  damage  in  time. 

Even  when  wooden  culverts  are  covered  with  earth, 
parts  of  the  side  timbers  project  on  the  ends,  and 
there  is  always  more  or  less  rubbish,  dead  grass  or 
weeds,  which  accumulates  at  the  mouths  of  them, 
making  the  liability  to  accident  by  fire  almost  as  great 
as  on  trestles  or  bridges. 

When  nothing  but  wood  is  used  in  the  construction 
of  bridges  or  culverts,  I  am  decidedly  in  favor  of  us- 
ing small  pile  bridges  instead  of  box  culverts.  There 
is  less  danger  of  the  bridges  washing  out,  while  liabil- 
ity to  accident  by  fire  is  about  the  same,  and  men  pa- 
trolling the  track  can  see  at  a  glance  when  an  open 
bridge  is  safe,  while  he  must  often  go  20  or  30  feet  be- 
low the  track  to  examine  a  culvert. 

GRADING   CUTS. 

21 .  Wet,  soft  cuts  on  railroads  are  a  great  annoyance, 
and  very  expensive  for  the  companies  that  are  troubled 
with  them.  They  are  the  chief  cause  for  increasing 
the  section  force  and  for  which  ditching  gangs  and 
extra  quantities  of  ballast  must  be  furnished. 

In  the  spring  and  summer  the  track  in  wet  cuts  is 
rough  and  sometimes  hard  to  find  where  there  is  no  bal- 
last under  it.  Trains  must  run  slow  and  the  wear  and 
tear  on  rolling  stock  is  greater  than  at  other  points 
on  the  road,  In  the  winter  the  track  in  bad  cuts  is 


66  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

heaved  up,  and  it  requires  considerable  extra  labor  and 
expense  to  keep  it  passable,  and  owing  to  the  frequent 
spiking  and  the  nature  of  the  material  in  which  they 
are  laid  the  ties  soon  rot  and  have  to  be  renewed.  For 
new  railroad  construction  there  is  a  cheap  and  effec- 
tive remedy  for  the  evils  above  mentioned  which  is 
seldom  or  never  adopted.  This  consists  in  widening 
the  roadbed  in  proportion  to  the  height  of  the  cut,  or 
in  conformity  with  the  nature  of  the  material  through 
which  the  cut  is  made,  instead  of  following  out  the 
iron  clad  rule  which  makes  the  width  of  the  roadbed 
the  same  in  all  cuts,  whether  in  rock  or  yellow  clay. 
A  practical  and  experienced  man  should  have  full 
charge  of  the  grading  work  on  a  new  road,  and  he 
should  be  at  liberty  to  widen  the  roadbed,  or  ease  the 
side  slopes  of  any  cut,  in  a  manner  which  would  pro- 
tect the  track  from  the  effects  of  heavy  rains  or  a 
springy  bottom. 

Surface  ditches  should  be  put  along  the  tops  of  all 
cuts  to  run  off  the  water  at  the  ends,  and  to  prevent 
it  coming  in  on  the  track  over  the  faces  of  the  cuts. 


SUMMER  TRACK  WORK. 
CHAPTER  III. 

1,  Summer  Track  Work— 2,  Track  Ties— 3,  Putting  New  Ties  Under  the 
Track — I,  Select  Your  Joint  Ties— 5,  Finish  as  You  Go— 6,  Distributing 
New  Ties— 7,  Make  the  Worst  Places  Safe  First— 8,  Ties  Under  Joints— 
9,  Estimating  New  Ties  for  Repairs— 10,  Counting  the  Bad  Ties— 11, 

.  Wide  Spaces— 12,  Remove  Bad  Ties  When  Ballasting— 13,  Twisted 
Ties— 14,  Ties  at  Highway  Crossings— 15,  Remove  the  Bark— 16,  Old 
Ties— 17,  Average  Life  of  Ties— 18,  Tie  Account  for  a  Tear— 19, 
Cutting  Weeds— 20,  Weeds  on  Heavy  Grades— 21,  To  Lessen  Weed 
Cutting. 

1,  Ballast— 2,  Surface  Levels— 3,  Before  Ballasting  Track— 4,  When  to  Bal- 
last—5,  Ballasting— 6,  Raising  Track— 7,  Raise  Both  Sides— 8,  Solid 
Centers — 9,  High  Places — 10,  Uniform  Tamping — 11,  Dressing  Ballasted 
Track— 12,  A  Day's  Work— 13,  Refuse  Ballast  In  Cuts— 14,  Have  the 
Track  Ready— 15,  High  Raising— 16,  Gravel  Required  to  Ballast  a  Mile 
of  Track— 17,  Level  Track  in  Yards— 18,  How  to  Level  Yard  Tracks— 19, 
Gravel  Pits— 20,  Gravel  vs.  Weeds. 

1.  The  month  of  May  is  the  season  of  the  year 
when,  on  northern  railroads,  the  work  of  general  track 
repair  should  be  pushed  steadily.  Track  is  becoming 
dry  in  many  places,  and  heaved  track  is  settling  back 
to  its  old  bed. 

Section  Foremen  should  select  parts  of  the  track  at 
the  furthest  ends  of  their  sections,  and  work  in  the 
following  manner.  Tamp  up  all  low  places  to  the 
proper  surface  and  level;  tighten  up  all  bolts;  put  a 
good  line  on  the  track,  and  take  all  kinks  out  of  the 
gage  side;  nil  in  the  center  of  the  track  where  neces- 
sary, and  dress  it  out  of  a  face,  cleaning  the  shoulder 
of  all  weeds,  and  strengthening  the  embankment  at  all 


68  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

weak  points  as  you  go  along.  In  fact,  do  everything 
necessary  to  make  a  good  safe  track.  Do  not  slight 
anything,  and  you  will  have  the  satisfaction  of  know- 
ing that  so  much  track  as  has  received  your  attention 
is  in  good  shape,  when  you  are  called  away  to  do  other 
important  work,  such  as  putting  in  ties,  cutting  weeds,' 
laying  new  steel,  etc.  Add  to  this  good  track  daily, 
and  save  making  so  many  excursions  after  that  par- 
ticular low  joint,  bad  bridge  approach,  or  battered 
rail,  all  of  which  jobs  if  looked  after  separately,  con- 
sumes lots  of  valuable  time. 

When  the  time  comes  for  putting  in  new  ties,  those 
broken  under  the  track  rails,  or  where  there  are  sev- 
eral rotten  ties  together  should  be  removed  first.  The 
work  of  changing  ties  should  be  well  done.  Ties 
should  be  properly  spaced,  laid  square  across  the  track? 
and  tamped  solid  up  under  the  rail.  The  number 
should  be  increased  wherever  there  was  wide  space 
between  the  old  ties,  or  in  order  to  get  a  good  hewed 
tie  under  the  center  of  every  rail  joint. 

Track  should  not  be  ballasted  or  surfaced  out  of  a 
face  in  the  northwest  earlier  than  the  15th  of  May, 
nor  should  new  steel  be  laid  until  the  track  is  in  a 
good  condition  to  receive  it,  except  when  a  gang  of 
men  is  furnished  to  go  along  and  fix  the  track  as  fast 
as  it  is  laid.  But  such  work  is  better  if  delayed  until 
the  weather  is  warm  and  the  ground  thoroughly  dry. 

By  the  first  of  June,  Section  Foremen  should  have 
their  track  in  as  good  a  condition  as  possible,  so  as  to 
give  most  of  their  time  to  cutting  weeds  and  surfacing, 
without  having  to  do  so  much  general  repair  work. 

TRACK   TIES. 

2,     Having  had  considerable  experience  for  a  num- 


SUMMER   TRACK   WORK.  69 

ber  of  years  in  making  and  laying  track  ties,  and  re- 
moving old  ones  from  track,  and  noticing  that  the 
subject  has  received  some  attention  by  other  writers, 
I  should  like  to  add  a  little  to  the  information  already 
advanced. 

Taking  a  practical  view  of  the  question,  I  am  com- 
pelled to  differ  from  those  who  advocate  keeping  the 
heart  side  of  a  tie  above  the  ground,  and  should  pre- 
fer laying  all  ties  in  the  track  with  the  sap  side  up, 
especially  ties  made  by  splitting  a  log  of  timber  in 
two  parts.  Such  ties  will  lie  better,  shed  water  bet- 
ter, and  last  longer,  than  if  turned  the  opposite  way. 

The  shape  of  a  tie,  itself,  will  generally  decide  what 
way  it  should  be  laid  in  track,  notwithstanding  any 
theory  to  the  contrary.  Preference  is  always  given  to 
the  wider  side  of  a  tie  for  the  base,  and  this  will  bring 
the  heart  side  down  in  either  a  quarter  or  half  log  tie. 
In  the  pole  ties  there  is  no  preference  worth  consider- 
ing, except  as  to  width  of  face  as  above  ref  erred  »to. 
The  kind  and  quality  of  timber  from  which  track  ties 
are  made,  is  a  question  of  much  more  importance  to  a 
railroad  company,  as  the  difference  in  the  length  of  life 
and  service  of  ties  made  from  various  kinds  of  timber 
is  so  great  that  a  saving  of  more  than  half  the  cost 
may  be  effected,  in  some  instances,  by  selecting  the 
most  lasting  timber. 

It  is  not  always  possible  to  procure  the  best  ties, 
Itnt  an  effort  xhonld  he  mode  1<>  I/arc  flicni  above  the 
oreraije.  eren  ai  on  increoxed  price.  Other  things 
being  equal,  a  railroad  which  is  not  compelled  to  re- 
new its  track  ties  for  nine  or  ten  years  after  they  are 
laid  in  the  ground,  has  an  immense  advantage  over  a 
road  that  must  renew  its  ties  once  in  five  years.  The 


70  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

latter  road  must  figure  into  its  expense  account  almost 
double  the  cost  for  material,  besides  the  additional 
track  labor  necessary  to  do  the  work,  and  during  the 
interval  it  cannot  have  as  good  a  track  as  the  former. 
Ties  sawed  square  will  rot  quicker  and  break  easier 
than  hewed  ties,  and  are  generally  too  small  to  give  a 
good  bearing  surface.  But  pole  ties,  with  a  face  on 
two  sides,  made  by  sawing  slabs  from  them,  are  gen- 
erally good  and  preferable  to  quarter  ties  or  ties  split 
out  of  very  large  logs,  because  the  wood  of  a  big  tree 
is  more  brittle  than  that  of  a  younger  growth.  A  well 
hewed  pole  tie,  with  a  face  on  two  sides,  eight  to  ten 
inches  wide,  is  preferable  to  all  others  for  track  pur- 
poses. No  tie  should  exceed  several  inches  in  thick- 
ness, and  all  ties  should  be  cut  a  uniform  length  for 
main  track,  except  in  bridges  and  switches.*  The  life 
of  a  track  tie  is  not  altogether  dependent  upon  the 
kind  or  quality  of  timber  used. 

jj'he  same  kind  of  a  tie  will  last  longer  at  the  North 
where  the  ground  is  frozen  all  winter,  than  in  the 
South,  where  the  process  of  decay  goes  on  uninter- 
ruptedly. There  is  also  a  marked  difference  in  the 
effect  on  ties  of  an  extremely  wet  or  dry  climate,  or 
the  amount  of  traffic  over  them. 

In  the  spring,  on  railway  lines  which  run  East  and 
West,  the  frost  goes  out  from  under  the  south  rail  first 

*  It  seems  to  be  a  very  difficult  matter,  when  constructing  a  new  rail- 
road, or  when  procuring  new  ties  for  renewals,  to  secure  ties  of  a  size  that 
will  be  uniform  in  width  of  face  and  thickness.  In  regard  to  the  length  of 
lies,  I  believe  the  ugly  and  ii  regular  line  of  ties  on  the  gage  side  of  track, 
caused  by  the  difference  in  the  length  of  ties,  is  the  result  of  gross  care 
lessness  in  the  officer  or  company  that  accepts  them  from  the  tie  maker. 
If  ties  were  all  of  a  uniform  length,  besides  improving  the  track,  it  would 
prevent  uneven  settling  of  track;  and  by  lining  evenly  on  both  sides,  they 
aid  the  Track  Foreman  in  arranging  the  ballast  a  uniform  width  on  each 
side  of  track,  and  prevent  the  useless  work  spent  in  tamping  the  long  ends 
and  digging  out  for  them,  and  011  mud  track  it  would  lessen  the  labor  of 
weed  cutting. 


SUMMER   TRACK  WORK.  71 

at  all  places  where  there  are  no  cuts  or  other  shade  to 
assist  in  equalizing  the  heat  of  the  sun  on  both  sides 
of  track.  At  such  points  I  believe  it  would  be  a  good 
policy  when  putting  in  track  ties  to  lay  the  widest  or 
butt  end  of  the  ties  under  the  south  rail  of  the  track. 

PUTTING   NEW   TIES   UNDER   THE   TRACK. 

3.  When  putting  ties  under  the  track  the  Foreman 
should  never  allow  the  men  to  dig  out  any  more  than 
is  necessary  to  allow  the.  tie  to  go  under  easily.  The 
old  bed  should  not  be  disturbed  if  the  new  tie  will  fit. 
A  very  good  method  for  putting  ties  in  a  mud  track, 
where  there  are  a  good  many  ties  to  be  changed,  is  to 
dig  out  between  every  two  rotten  ties,  and  on  each 
side  of  the  track,  a  little  deeper  than  the  bed  of  the 
ties,  pull  the  spikes  from  the  old  ties,  spring  the  rail 
on  a  tie  either  side  of  the  hole  which  has  been  dug, 
and  slip  a  spike  under  the  rail.  Use  nothing  thicker 
than  a  spike..  Then  knock  the  old  ties  into  the  hole, 
and  pull  out.  Pull  the  new  tie  into  the  same  liole 
from  the  opposite  side  of  the  track,  if  it  is  of  about 
the  right  size;  let  a  man  on  each  side  of  the  track  slide 
the  tie  into  its  bed,  keeping  it  close  up  to  the  rail  un- 
til in  its  place.  If  the  place  to  receive  the  tie  is  a  little 
too  deep,  scatter  a  shovel  or  two  of  fine  dirt  evenly 
over  the  bed,  then  slide  the  tie  under  the  rail  as  be- 
fore. When  both  new  ties  are  in,  take  the  spike  from 
under  the  rail,  and  you  will  find  both  ties  in  better 
shape  than  if  tamped  under  for  several  minutes.  The 
ties  will  hug  the  rail  and  very  seldom  be  over  an 
eighth  of  an  inch  too  high,  an  error  which  cannot  be 
seen  after  the  first  train  passes  over. 

The   writer  has   tried  all  methods,  but   finds  the 


72  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

above  the  best,  safest,  and  quickest.  When  ties  are 
put  in  this  way  there  is  110  tamping  to  be  done,  and 
they  can  be  spiked  without  the  necessity  of  having  a 
man  to  hold  up  the  ends  of  the  ties  for  the  spiker. 
This  method  can  only  be  used  when  putting  ties  in  a 
mud  track.  In  gravel  or  stone,  the  ties  must  be 
tamped,  and  should  be  held  up  to  the  rail  when  spik- 
ing them. 

When  men-  have  had  some  practice  at  putting  in 
ties  in  this  way,  they  can  put  in  one-third  more  in  a 
day,  per  man,  than  by  tamping;  and  in  much  better 
shape.  But  it  is  not  advisable  to  raise  the  track  up 
to  put  in  ties  in  gravel,  because  the  gravel  will  run 
under  the  ties  and  spoil  the  surface  of  the  track. 

New  ties  should  always  be  spaced  evenly;  they 
should  be  square  across  the  track,  and  laid  so  that  the 
same  length  of  tie  will  project  outside  of  each  rail, 
as  very  short  or  long  ties,  if  put  to  line  on  the  line 
side,  would  give  an  uneven  bearing  surface  for  the 
rails,  thereby  making  track  difficult  to  keep  level. 
The  only  necessity  for  a  line  side  on  such  ties  is  when 
laying  new  track. 

SELECT   YOUR   JOINT   TIES. 

4.  When  selecting  ties  to  put  under  joints,  where 
common  splices  are  used,  always  choose  the  best 
hewed  and  widest  tie  you  can  find,  but  never  bring 
the  shoulder  ties  close  to  the  joint  at  the  expense  of 
the  quarters.  Under  joints  where  angle  bar  splices 
are  used,  put  in  two  well  hewn  ties  of  about  equal 
size,  and  have  each  tie  come  well  under  the  angle  bar 
splices  not  over  six  inches  apart.  When  putting  in  ties 
a  Foreman  should  divide  his  gang  in  such  a  way  that 
all  can  be  working  at  once,  having  each  man  do  the 


SUMMER   TRACK   WORK.  73 

work  he  is  best  suited  to  perform,  and  when  working 
a  large  gang  of  men  he  ought  to  have  tools  enough  to 
work  them  in  separate  gangs,  because  in  this  way  a 
great  deal  more  work  can  be  doneiii  proportion  to  the 
number  of  men.  Ties  sawed  square  should  never  be 
put  under  a  rail  joint. 

FINISH  AS   YOU  GO. 

5.  When  a  Section  Foreman  is  putting  in  ties  out 
of  a  face,  leaving  the  track  well  tied  behind  him,  he 
should  take  time  each  day  to  level  up  all  low  places 
in  the  piece  of  track  tied,  dressing  it  up,  not  only  in 
spots  where  the  ties  have  been  put  under,  but  contin- 
uously.    He  should,  if  necessary,  cut  the  weeds  at  the 
same  time,  and  do  any  other  work  that  is  needed.    By 
doing  the  work  this  way,  he  leaves  behind  him,  every 
day,  a  good  piece  of  track,  which  grows  longer  as  he 
advances,  and  shows  up  to  his  own  advantage,  and  his 
superior's  satisfaction. 

DISTRIBUTING   NEW   TIES. 

6.  When  new  ties  are  being  distributed  on  his  sec- 
tion, a  Foreman  should  be  particular  to  so  distribute 
them  that  it  will  not  afterwards  be  necessary  to  haul 
them  any  great  distance  to  where  they  are  wanted. 
Hauling  ties  half  a  mile  or  more  with  a  push  car  to 
where  you  want  them,  when  they  could  as  well  have 
been  put  there  with  the  train,  is  only  a  waste  of  time 
and  labor-. 

MAKE   THE   WORST   PLACES   SAFE   FIRST. 

7.  When  the  number  of  rotten  ties  on  a  section  is 
very  great,  or  when  the  bad  ties  are  in  bunches,  from 
three  to  ten  together  in  a   rail  length,  making  the 
track  unsafe,  always  look  to  sucli  places  first,  and  get 


74  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

in  enough  new  ties  in  these  places  to  make  them  safe, 
and  keep  track  in  good  gage.  After  you  have  done 
this,  then  will  be  time  enough  to  commence  putting 
in  the  new  ties  out  of  a  face. 

When  putting  in  new  ties  out  of  a  face,  if  the  old 
ties  left  in  the  track  are  not  to  gage,  bring  to  the 
proper  gage  with  new  ones;  don't  leave  them  an  irreg- 
ular gage. 

TIES   UNDER   JOINTS. 

8.  When  two  rail  joints  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
track  are  not  squarely  opposite  each  other,  never  try 
to  twist  one  tie  around  so  as  to  make  each  end  of  it 
come  under  the  center  of  a   joint.     This  makes  the 
joint  weaker  than  any  other  part  of  the  rail  in  propor- 
tion to  the  difference  between  the  square  of  the  joints. 
When  rail  joints  pass  each  other  so  much  that  the 
center  of  each  joint  will  not  rest  on  opposite  edges  of 
a  good  tie,  put  into  track  another  tie,  so  that  the  cen- 
ter of  each  joint  will  rest  on  the  center  of  one  end  of 
either  of  the  ties.     Track  is  much  better  and  easier  to 
keep  up  to  surface  where  there  are  plenty  of  ties  under 
it.     A  good  method  for  spacing  ties  is   to  have   the 
space  between  all  ties  just  wide  enough  to  pass  a  track 
shovel  up  between  them.     Where  white  cedar  ties  are 
used   there  should  be  not  less  than   seventeen  to   a 
thirty  foot  rail  length. 

ESTIMATING  NEW   TIES   FOR   REPAIRS. 

9.  In  the  fall  of  the  year,  or  at  any  other  time  that 
Section   Foremen  are  requested  to  send  their  Road- 
masters  an  estimate  of  the  number  of  new  ties  wanted 
for   repair  of  track  on  their   sections,  the   Foreman 
should  make  a  personal  examination  of  every  tie  in 


SUMMER  TRACK   WORK.  75 

the  track  in  his  charge,  counting  every  rotten  or 
broken  tie  which  must  be  removed  from  the  track  be- 
fore the  end  of  another  year.  In  the  statement  should 
also  be  included  the  number  of  ties  wanted  to  repair 
his  side  tracks,  and  any  extra  ties  wanted  to  fill  wide 
spaces,  which  may  have  been  omitted  when  the  track 
was  first  laid. 

COUNTING  THE   BAD   TIES. 

10.  When  the  bad  ties  are  counted,  each  one  should 
be  examined,  and  tried  with  a  pick,  if  necessary.     Do 
not  run  over  the  track  on  a  hand  car,  carelessly  count- 
ing the  ties  as  you  go,  nor  make  an  estimate  of  the 
number  of  ties  wanted  by  guess.     The  number  of  ties 
wanted  each  year  for  repairs  is  an  important  item  of 
expense  to  a  railroad  company,  and  all  estimates  for 
new  ties  should  be  made  as  accurate  as  possible. 

WIDE  SPACES. 

11.  When  putting  in  new  ties,  Track  Foremen 
should  see  that  all  wide  spaces  are  filled   between  the 
old  ties  which  were  too  far  apart  when  the  track  was 
laid,  or  where  other  Foremen  neglected  to  space  them 
properly,  putting  in  two  for  one,  or  three  for  two  wher- 
ever necessary. 

REMOVE  BAD   TIES   WHEN   BALLASTING. 

12.  When  a  track  is  being  ballasted  with  gravel, 
stone  or  other  material,  all  the  bad  ties  should  be  re- 
placed by  new  ones  as  fast  as  the  track  is  ballasted. 
The  work  of  changing  ties  is  more  easily  done  when 
ballasting,  and  costs  less;  and  the  track  does  not  have 
to  be  disturbed  again  for  a  much  longer  period. 

TWISTED    TIES. 

13.  Foremen  putting  new  ties  into  the  track  should 


76  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

adze  off  the  edge  at  the  ends  of  all  twisted  ties,  suffi- 
ciently to  give  the  base  of  the  track  rails  a  level  sur- 
face to  rest  on  for  the  full  width  of  the  tie,  at  each  end 
of  it. 

TIES   AT   HIGHWAY   CROSSINGS. 

14.  When  new  ties  have  been  distributed  along  the 
track,  the  Section  Foreman  should  go  over  his  secfion 
immediately  after  the  distributing  train,  and  remove 
to  a  safe  distance  all  ties  which  are  close  to  the  track 
rails,   or   in  a  dangerous   position.     All  ties   on  the 
ground  close  to  highway   or  farm  crossings  should 
either  be  put  into  the  track  at  once,  or  remove  to  some 
place  where  there  would  be  less  danger  of  their  being 
stolen,  or  obstructing  the  highway.     Section  Foremen 
should  not  overlook  any   crossings  when  putting  in 
ties;  the  plank  should  be  taken  up,  the  track  exam- 
ined, and  all  the  new  ties  needed  put  in  there. 

REMOVE   THE   BARK. 

15.  The  bark  should  be  removed  from  all  hewed  or 
round  timber  used  in  railroad  construction,  before  it  is 
put  into  service  in  the  ground,  or  above  the  ground. 

Bridge  piles  will  remain  sound  much  longer,  if  the 
bark  is  removed,  and  they  are  allowed  to  season,  before 
they  are  put  in  the  ground,  because  the  water  which 
falls  on  the  wood  above  the  surface  of  the  ground,  soon 
evaporates,  and  leaves  the  timber  in  a  good,  dry  con- 
dition. If  the  bark  is  allowed  to  remain,  it  prevents 
evaporation  of  the  sap,  or  other  moisture,  for  a  much 
longer  time,  and  therefore  induces  decay.  The  same 
may  be  said  of  fence  posts,  and  there  is  considerable 
loss  occasioned  by  nails  or  other  fastenings  not  secur- 
ing a  firm  hold  on  the  wood,  where  they  are  driven 
through  the  bark. 


SUMMER    TRACK   WORK.  77 

In  the  case  of  track  ties,  *  the  bark,  if  not  remov- 
ed, assists  materially  the  process  of  decay,  and  it 
is  also  a  continual  source  of  annoyance  to  the  track 
men  when  tamping  or  repairing  the  track,  and  dan- 
gerous on  account  of  fire.  The  best  time  to  remove 
the  bark  from  ties  is  during  the  winter  months,  before 
the  ties  are  distributed  along  the  track. 

OLD  TIES. 

16.  I  believe  the  best  way  to  dispose  of  the  old  ties, 
which  are  taken  out  of  the  track,  is  to  get  rid  of  them 
with  as  little  expense  and  handling  as  possible.     After 
the  section  men  receive  what  old   ties  they  require 
for  firewood,  the  balance  should  be  traded  for  work, 
or  given  away  to  people  living  along  the  road,  with 
the  understanding  that   the  old  ties  be   removed  at 
once,  after  they  are  taken  from  the  track. 

There  is  a  large  amount  of  labor  wasted  in  picking 
up,  hauling,  piling  up  and  burning  old  ties  which  had 
better  be  devoted  to  improving  the  track.  In  most 
sections  of  the  country  where  timber  is  scarce,  the 
farmers  living  along  the  track  will  do  plowing  or  grad- 
ing, or  give  labor  on  the  track  equivalent  to  the  old 
ties. 

AVERAGE   LIFE  OF   TIES. 

17.  The  average  life  of  ties  can  only  be  determined 
in  localities  where  they  are  used.     Ties  made  from  the 
same  timber  will  rot  quicker  in  one  kind  of  soil  or 
ballast  than  they  will  in  another.     The  climate  also 
affects  the  life  of  a   tie,  as  also  does  the  amount  of 

*  All  track  ties  last  much  longer,  hold  a  spike  better  and  give  better  re 
suits  generally,  if  they  are  thoroughly  seasoned  before  putting  them  into 
the  track.  All  timber  used  in  railroad  construction  should  be  well  sea- 
soned before  putting  into  the  ground. 


78 


THE   TRACKMAN  S    HELPER. 


traffic  over  the  road,  the  width  of  rail  base,  etc. 

Another  point  to  consider,  when  calculating  the  life 
of  a  tie,  is  the  condition  in  which  it  is  allowed  to  re- 
main in  track.  Some  companies  have  all  the  old  ties 
removed  from  track  as  soon  as  they  will  not  hold  a 
spike,  while  other  roads  allow  old  ties  to  remain  in 
track  until  they  are  entirely  worthless.  The  latter 
roads  gain  about  another  year's  use  of  the  ties,  but  it 
does  not  pay  except  in  the  case  of  an  occasional  tie, 
broken  or  rotten  in  the  center,  but  still  giving  the 
rails  a  good  support  at  the  ends.  Any  tie  which  has 
begun  to  give  away  under  the  rail  should  at  once  be 
replaced  by  a  new  one.  When  bad  ties  are  numerous 
it  is  impossible  for  trackmen  to  repair  the  road  with- 
out putting  under  new  ties. 

18.  TIE    ACCOUNT    FOR   A    YEAR. 


MONTHS  . 

TIES   RECEIVED. 

PUT  IN  TRACK. 

ON   HAND. 

HardTies 

Soft  Ties 

HardTies 

Soft  Ties. 

HardTies 

soft  Ties. 

January  
February  — 
March  
April 

1000 
none 
300 

500 
160 
none 

none 
none 
1100 

IK.  ne 
none 

yoo 

1(00 
1000 
800 

500 
600 
400 

May  
June  

August  
September.  .  . 

November... 
December.... 

Track  Foremen  will  find  the  above  form  a  handy  way 
to  keep  a  correct  account  of  ties  handled  on  their  sec- 
tion. If  it  is  necessary  to  keep  account  of  more  than 
two  kinds  of  ties,  additional  columns  may  be  put  in 
under  the  three  heads,  "Ties  Received,"  "Put  in 
Track,"  or  "On  Hand." 


SUMMER  TRACK  WORK.  79 


CUTTING   WEEDS. 

19.  Weeds  on  track  should  be  cut  clean  with  the 
shovel  between  the  ties  and  out  to  a  distance  of  at 
least  three  and  one-half  feet  from  the  rails  on  mud 
track,  and  to  the  outer  line  of  gravel  or  stone  ballast 
parallel  with  the  rails  in  cuts;  the  weeds  growing  out- 
side of  the  track  should  be  cut  to  the  back  line  of  the 
ditches,  unless  where  grass  sod  is  allowed  to  grow  to 
protect  the  shoulder  of  the  track.  On  embankments, 
the  weeds  at  a  greater  distance  from  the  ends  of  ties 
than  that  mentioned  above  should  be  kept  cut  down 
with  a  scythe  or  bush  hook,  as  far  out  as  the  right  of 
way  limits,  if  the  Foreman  is  allowed  men  enough  to 
perform  this  work  without  neglecting  the  track  or 
other  necessary  work.  A  clean  track  is  not  by  any 
means  a  safe  track,  and  a  Foreman  should  not  have 
his  men  mowing  grass  and  weeds  along  the  right  of 
way,  unless  the  help  he  is  allowed  and  the  condition 
of  his  track  at  the  time  will  admit  of  it.  Before  com- 
mencing to  cut  weeds  a  Foreman  should  grind  on  the 
inside  of  the  blade  any  new  shovels  he  is  about  to  use 
and  bevel  them  back  from  the  edge  about  five-six- 
teenths of  an  inch.  He  should  also  carry  a  flat 
file  to  use  when  necessary,  and  never  allow  his  men  to 
hammer  shovels  on  the  edge  of  the  blade,  as  this  prac- 
tice causes  pieces  to  break  out  of  the  front  of  shovels 
and  render  them  almost  useless.  A  Foreman  should 
watch  his  men  when  cutting  weeds  and  see  that  the 
weeds  are  cut  under  the  surface  of  the  ground,  as  those 
which  are  only  cut  off  above  the  ground  commence 
growing  immediately  after  being  cut.  When  weeds 
are  cut  in  the  center  of  a  track  or  on  an  embankment, 


80  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

the  dirt  which  comes  on  the  shovel  together  with  the 
weeds  should  not  be  thrown  down  the  embankment  but 
be  either  turned  over  or  allowed  to  remain  where  it 
was  moved  from.  The  practice  of  shaving  off  the 
embankment  one  or  two  inches  every  time  weeds 
are  cut  is  bad,  and  should  not  be  tolerated,  as  the 
loose  dirt  thrown  down  the  hill  soon  washes  away,  and 
each  additional  weed  cutting  of  this  kind  weakens  the 
shoulder,  makes  the  fill  narrower,  and  in  time  al- 
lows the  ends  of  ties  to  project  over  and  track  to  set- 
tle for  want  of  a  sufficient  foundation. 

When  cutting  weeds,  always  have  your  men  cut  on 
separate  rail  lengths,  as  this  relieves  the  monotony  of 
the  work;  it  also  acts  a?  a  stimulus,  making  each  one 
anxious  to  do  his  part  of  the  work  in  time  to  take  his 
place  in  turn  with  the  other  men. 

WEEDS   ON    HEAVY   GRADES. 

20.  If  a  Section  Foreman's  help  is  so  limited  that 
it  is  not  possible  for  him  to  keep  all  of  the  track  in  his 
charge  clear  of  grass  and  weeds  during  the  summer 
months,  he  should  commence  part  way  up  the  heav- 
iest grades  on  his  section,  and  cut  the  weeds  clean  out 
of  the  track  to  the  top  of  the  grade  and  down  the  same 
distance  on  the  opposite  side.  This  will  enable  heavy 
trains  to  go  through  without  any  inconvenience,  and 
the  weeds  in  the  sags  can  be  cleaned  out  afterwards 
as  the  Foreman  has  the  time  to  do  it. 

If  the  section  is  all  level  track  you  can  follow  the  same 
plan,  cutting  the  weeds  a  quarter  of  a  mile  or  more  in 
one  place,  occasionally  skipping  a  piece.  This  will 
enable  an  engine  to  gain  speed  enough  where  the  track 
is  clear,  to  haul  the  train  without  slipping,  over  places 
where  the  weeds  are  not  cut. 


SUMMER   TRACK   WORK.  81 

TO    LESSEN    WEED    CUTTING. 

21.  The  labor  of  weed  cutting  on  a  dirt-ballasted 
track  may  be  lessened  a  great  deal  by  work  done  on 
the  section  in  the  spring  before  the  weeds  become 
troublesome,  by  the  following  method:  At  all  points 
where  a  Foreman  puts  a  number  of  new  ties 
in  the  track  near  together,  he  should  stop  long- 
enough  to  surface  up  the  track,  line  and  dress  it  out 
of  a  face,  and  by  this  means  kill  the  young  weeds,  or 
at  least  retard  their  growth  at  that  place.  After  a 
Foreman  is  well  advanced  with  the  work  of  putting 
in  ties,  some  of  the  old  ties  may  be  traded  to  farmers 
living  near  the  track  for  ploughing  a  couple  of  fur- 
rows along  on  each  side  of  the  track  10  or  15  feet  from 
the  rail,  and  in  a  line  parallel  with  the  track,  keeping 
a  little  outside  the  bottom  of  the  track  embankment. 
Have  this  work  done  where  it  is  high  and  narrow, 
especially  where  the  shoulder  of  the  track  outside  the 
ties  has  been  weakened  by  surface  washing  or  from 
constant  weed  cutting  previous  years. 

After  the  plowing  has  been  done  the  Foreman 
should  take  his  men  and  level  up  all  low  spots  in  the 
track  and  line  it  up  ready  to  fill  in  and  dress.  Then 
put  part  of  the  men  to  work  on  each  side  of  the  track 
and  have  them  cut  the  plowed  sod  into  handy  lengths 
and  lay  them  along  at  the  ends  of  the  track  ties  with 
the  grass  side  down,  and  fill  the  balance  of  the  track 
in  the  center  and  between  the  ties  with  material  taken 
from  the  bottom  of  the  newly  plowed  furrows  and 
dress  and  finish  the  track  with  it.  This  work  should 
be  continued  as  long  as  you  can  spare  the  time  from 
other  necessary  track  work  and  by  the  time  regular 
weed  cutting  begins  you  will  have  one  or  two  miles 


82 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


SUMMER  TBACK  WOBR.  8*3 

of  first-class  mud  track  with  all  the  old  grass  or  weeds 
killed.  The  track  will  be  strengthened  and  kept  in 
better  line,  and,  there  being  no  weeds  in  the  material 
taken  from  the  plow  furrows  for  ballasting,  you  will 
be  saved  the  necessity  of  cutting  much  weeds  on  that 
piece  of  track  all  summer,  and  all  your  other  work 
will  be  advanced  proportionately. 

Although  a  shovel  is  the  tool  most  commonly  used 
for  cutting  weeds  on  railroads,  tools,  such  as  are  shown 
in  the  illustrations,  are  now  being  gradually  substi. 
tuted  for  the  shovel  on  many  roads  on  account  of  their 
superiority  in  many  respects.  In  the  first  place,  they 
are  more  convenient  for  the  men  to  use,  are  not  so 
tiresome,  and  can  be  handled  with  greater  ease,  the 
men  standing  in  an  upright  position,  when  cutting 
weeds  with  them,  instead  of  a  stooped  or  bending  over 
position,  which  must  be  assumed  with  a  short  handled 
shovel.  From  one-sixth  to  one-fourth  more  weeds 
may  be  cut  in  a  day  with  these  tools  than  can  be  cut 
with  a  shovel.  They  are  less  expensive  than  shovels, 
and  are  therefore  more  economical  to  use,  and  the  dirt 
or  ballast  which  would  be  lifted  by  a  shovel  and  wasted 
by  careless  men  is  not  disturbed  by  the  tools  shown, 
when  weeds  are  cut,  but  remains  in  its  original  form 
in  the  center  of  track  or  on  the  shoulder  of  embank- 
ment. This  last  advantage  alone  is  a  sufficient  reason 
for  their  general  introduction  on  all  roads  in  prefer- 
ance  to  shovels. 

Either  of  the  weed  cutting  tools,  shown  in  Figures 
8  and  9,  should  have  a  blade  made  of  very  thin  hard 
steel.  The  blade  of  the  hoe,  as  manufactured  for 
garden  use,  when  properly  tempered,  is  the  correct 
thing,  because,  although  the  edge  gradually  wears 


84  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

away,  yet  it  never  requires  sharpening,  as  thicker 
blades  would  on  account  of  coming  in  contact  with 
stone  and  gravel. 

Section  Foremen  can  improve  the  appearance  of 
their  track  greatly  and  save  considerable  labor  by 
bolting  a  piece  of  timber  to  the  end  of  the  hand  car, 
projecting  far  enough  out  on  the  side  of  track  to  attich 
an  iron  rod  with  a  small  steel  shovel  at  the  end  of  it, 
which  will  mark  the  outside  line  for  cutting  weeds  as 
the  car  is  pushed  ahead  on  the  track. 


BALLAST. 

1.  A  better  track  can  be  made  with  gravel  and 
stone  combined  for  ballast,  than  when  either  of  these 
materials  is  used  alone.  The  foundation  for  the  track 
should  be  laid  with  broken  stone,  and  above  the  stone 
should  be  placed  a  quantity  of  coarse  gravel  sufficient 
to  bed  the  ties,  surface  the  track,  and  dress  it.  Where 
gravel  and  stone  are  used  together,  as  above  stated, 
the  stone  need  not  be  broken  as  small  or  uniform  in 
size  as  where  stone  is  used  alone  for  ballast. 
Gravel  and  stone  when  used  for  track  ballast  have, 
each,  advantages  peculiar  to  themselves.  Stone  makes 
the  most  solid  foundation,  drains  the  track  best,  does 
not  freeze  in  cold  weather,  does  not  grow  weeds,  will 
not  wash,  and  makes  very  little  dust.  On  the  other 
hand,  gravel  is  easier  to  procure  along  most  roads, 
costs  less  than  stone,  is  more  elastic,  not  wearing  the 
track  ties  or  iron,  or  the  rolling  stock  as  much  as  stone, 
drains  the  track  well  and  does  not  grow  many  weeds. 
It  also  possesses  superior  advantages  in  handling,  lit- 
tle more  than  half  as  much  labor  being  required  to 


SUMMER   TRACK   WORK. 


85 


86  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

surface  a  given  amount  of  track  as  when  stone  ballast 
is  used;  and  all  kinds  of  track  repairs,  especially 
changing  ties,  can  be  made  much  quicker  and  cheaper 
in  gravel  than  in  stone  ballast.  Two  car  loads  of 
gravel  to  a  thirty  foot  rail  length,  laid  upon  a  layer  of 
broken  stone  twelve  inches  thick,  will  make  a  first- 
class  roadbed,  but  the  proportions  of  gravel  or  stone 
used  for  ballast  should  depend  on  the  kind  of  bottom* 
over  which  the  track  was  laid,  the  cost  of  materials 
and  the  amount  which  could  be  furnished. 

SURFACE  LEVELS. 

2.  When  ittis  intended  to  ballast  several  miles  of  old 
railroad,  or  when  ballasting  track  out  of  a  face  behind 
Tracklayers,  levels  should  be  given  by  the  Engineers 
just  as  for  bedding  ties,  with  only  this  difference,  that 
the  top  of  the  level  stakes  should  be  the  surface  level 
of  the  track  rails.     These  level  stakes  could  be  ar- 
ranged so  as  to  answer  for  lining  track,  like  center 
stakes,  and  in  all  cases  where  track  is  newly  ballasted, 
provision  should  be  made  for  putting  it  in  perfect  line, 
more  especially  curve  track  which  should  be  lined  as 
originally  located. 

BEFORE  BALLASTING  TRACK. 

3.  All  track  that  is  about  to  be  ballasted  with  cind- 
ers, gravel,  or  stone  should  be  cleaned  out  to  a  level 
with  the  bottom  of  the  ties,  and  the  dirt  taken  out 
should   be  put  along  the  shoulder  of  the  grade,  to 
strengthen  it  and  save  the  ballast  from  washing  away. 
If  the  dirt  between  the  ties  in  a  new  track  is  not  taken 
out  before  putting  under  ballast  of  cinders  or  gravel, 

*  Deep  sags  should  always  be  raised  up  the  required  height  before  track 
is  ballasted.  It  is  a  bad  policy  and  a  waste  of  material  to  increase  the 
depth  of  ballast  in  order  to  level  up  a  deep  sag  in  the  grade. 


SUMMER    TRACK    WORK. 


S7 


r 


88  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

it  soon  mixes  with  the  ballast  used,  and  works  grad- 
ually to  the  top  in  wet  or  low  places,  making  the  labor 
of  repair  more  difficult,  and  growing  more  weeds. 
Where  the  ballast  is  of  sufficient  thickness,  or  in  tak- 
ing up  sags,  the  digging  out  can  be  omitted.  The 
grade  on  high  embankments  before  receiving  ballast 
of  gravel  or  cinders,  should  be  made  at  least  fourteen 
feet  wide,  and  as  much  wider  as  is  possible  without 
too  great  an  expense. 

WHEN   TO   BALLAST. 

4.  On  Nothern  railroads,  track  should  not  be  bal- 
lasted earlier  than  May  loth  or  June  1st.     The  ground 
should  have  time  to  settle,  and   the  heaving  to  go 
down. 

BALLASTING. 

5.  When  a  Foreman  is  putting  ballast  under  the 
track  he  should  raise  the  track  out  of  a  face,  taking 
out  all  light  sags  where  there  is  enough  material  to 
doit. 

RAISING   TRACK. 

6.  The   following  is  one  of   the  best  methods   of 
raising  track  to  a  level  surface: 

Take  a  piece  of  board  two  inches  by  four  inches, 
and  five  feet  long,  place  it  across  the  trackway,  and 
cut  notches  in  it  three  inches  deep,  near  the  ends,  so 
that  it  will  fit  between  the  track  rails  like  a  gage. 
Put  this  board  on  a  high  place  in  the  track  about  ten 
or  twelve  rail  lengths  ahead  of  where  you  will  com- 
mence to  raise  the  track,  shim  it  up  at  the  end  to  a 
perfect  level,  at  whatever  height  will  be  the  top  sur- 
face level  of  the  track  rails  after  they  are  raised  at 
that  place;  you  may  then  go  back  and  begin  surfacing. 


SUMMER    TRACK   WORK. 


90  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

Raise  the  first  two  joints  on  opposite  side  of  track  and 
tamp  them  level.  Then  lay  the  spirit  level  aside 
until  you  have  all  the  track  surfaced  up  between 
where  you  commenced  to  work  and  where  you  placed 
the  sighting  board  across  the  track. 

When  sighting  track,  have  each  joint  raised  and 
tamped  one-fourth  of  an  inch  higher  than  the  top  of 
the  sighting  board,  and  on  reaching  the  last  joint, 
raise  and  bring  it  to  a  level  with  the  finished  track  by 
striking  down  on  the  tie  once  or  twice  with  a  sledge, 
or  other  heavy  tool.  The  center  of  the  rail  should 
only  be  raised  to  a  level  writh  the  joints. 

The  man  sighting  track  should  sit  at  least  sixty 
feet  back  of  the  joint  which  is  being  raised,  and 
ninety  feet  back  is  better,  because  the  long  surface  of 
rails  raised  assists  the  eye  to  more  accurately  sight 
a  true  and  level  line  ahead.  When  trackmen  sight 
at  the  first  joint  back  of  the  one  which  is  raising, 
light  sags  are  apt  to  get  into  the  surface  of  the  track 
unnoticed,  as  swings  do  when  men  stand  too  close  to 
a  place  in  track  when  they  are  lining. 

The  above  method  is  simple,  less  liable  to  varia- 
tion, and  makes  smoother  and  better  track  than  when 
the  spirit  level  is  used  on  every  rail  joint,  because 
the  Foreman  does  not  have  to  test  every  joint  with 
the  level  and  keep  the  men  idle  while  doing  it,  nor 
will  he  be  so  apt  to  pass  over  a  joint  which  is  not  up 
to  accurate  surface  with  the  others.  Use  two  jacks 
when  surfacing  with  a  large  gang  of  men,  a  heavy 
jack  for  the  joints,  and  a  lighter  one  for  lifting  the 
centers  of  the  rails.  Do  not  allow  the  jack  men  to 
lift  up  rail  centers  high  enough  to  spring  the  rails, 
and  always  have  the  jack  set  in  ahead  of  the  joint 


SUMMER   TEACK   WORK.  91 

next  to  be  raised,  except  when  the  rail  is  surface  bent 
in  the  quarter  behind  the  joint.  Tainp  up  the  tie 
ahead  of  the  joint  with  the  joint  tie  when  raising 
track  more  than  two  inches.  This  prevents  the  joints 
from  hooking  over  and  making  it  necessary  to  go 
back  and  raise  them  a  second  time. 

By  adjusting  a  joint  some  distance  ahead  to  the 
proper  elevation  or  level  and  sighting  the  track  into 
it — a  curve  track  can  be  surfaced  by  the  method 
described  for  straight  track.  Always  sight  curve-track 
along  the  inside  of  the  rails.  In  that  way  you  can  see 
further  and  better.  When  making  a  "run-off"  for 
trains  be  sure  to  have  it  long  enough  to  let  them 
over  it  easily.  Time  can  be  saved  by  only  tamping 
three  ties  solid  ahead  of  the  last  joint  raised.  The 
material  can  be  thrown  loosely  under  the  balance  of 
the  "run-off"  and  the  track  let  down  upon  it. 

Have  your  men  well  organized,  each  one  working 
in  his  proper  place,  and  if  you  employ  new  men  pair 
them  with  older  hands.  If  you  have  a  gang  of  four- 
teen or  sixteen  men  work  them  as  follows:  Put  two 
men  tamping  out  ends  of  ties  on  each  side  of  the 
track,  four  men  tamping  the  centers  of  ties  inside  the 
rails,  and  two  men  with  the  jack.  The  balance  of  the 
gang  may  be  divided,  a  part  of  them  filling  in  the  bal- 
last ahead  of  the  men  tamping  and  the  others  filling 
in  behind  the  men  tamping.  If  you  work  your  men 
so  that  they  will  be  about  evenly  divided  on  each 
side  of  the  track  they  will  be  more  apt  to  compete 
with  each  other  and  help  forward  the  work.  You 
can  see  at  a  glance  whether  each  one  performs  his 
share  of  the  work  or  not  and  you  will  also  be  pre- 
pared to  finish  up  a  piece  of  track  quicker,  when 


92  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

necessary,  than  if  the   men  are  allowed  to   straggle 
along  and  work  where  they  please. 

For  inexperienced  men  it  is  a  good  method  to 
sight  track  over  the  tops  of  two  small  blocks  which 
are  of  an  equal  height  with  the  sighting  board  or  a 
painted  line  upon  it.  The  man  with  the  track-jack 
carries  one  block,  and  when  the  top  of  this  block  is 
placed  on  a  rail  joint  and  comes  up  level  with  the 
sight-board  and  the  top  of  the  track-sighter's  block, 
the  joint  is  high  enough.  These  blocks  are  not  used 
when  sighting  the  center  of  the  track-rail. 

RAISE   BOTH   SIDES. 

7.  It  is  best  to  raise  both  sides  at  once  when  bal- 
lasting, as  track  raised  and  tamped  on  one  side  be- 
fore it  is  on  the  other  always  has  a  space  not  tamped 
under  the  rail,  on  the  first  side,  when  the  opposite 
side  is  brought  up  to  level.     The  center  of  ballasted 
track  should  never  be  tamped  solid;  it  will  be  enough 
to  fill  under  the  center  of  the  ties  without  tamping 
very   solid.     About   eighteen  inches  inside  the   rails 
on  each  side  of  the  track,  will  be  enough  of  the  in- 
side of  the  ties  to  tamp  solid. 

SOLID   CENTERS. 

8.  Where  the  weight  of  the  engine  and  the  cars 
bears  most  on  the  center  of  the  ties,  great  numbers 
of   them   break,   especially   ties  sawed  square.     On 
Northern  roads,  when  the  frost  is  leaving  the  ground 
in  the  spring,  the  ends  of  ties  thaw  out  first  and  where 
they  are  very  solid  in  the  center  they  rock  under  the 
weight  of  a  train  and  the  track  slides  out  of  line. 

HIGH    PLACES. 

9.  Short  high  points  in  the  track  to  be  ballasted 


SUMMER   TRACK   WORK.  93 

should  not  be  raised  at  all  if  they  are  higher  than  the 
surfaced  track,  but  should  be  let  down,  if  this  re- 
quires less  labor  than  to  surface  up  the  track  to  the 
high  point. 

UNIFORM    TAMPING. 

10.  The  secret  of  putting  up  good  smooth  track 
that  will  remain  so  a  long  time,  lies  in  having  your 
men  well  organized  and  in  getting  them  to  work  as 
nearly   alike  as  possible;  uniformity  in.  the  work  is 
everything.     A  first  class  track  can  be  ballasted  with- 
out tamping  it  with  either  tamping  pick,  bar  or  shovel 
handle,  where  sand  or  gravel  is  used,  by  having  the 
men  put  the  material  to  place  under  all  the  ties  with 
the   shovel   blade,  tamping  only  the*  joint  ties,   and 
picking  up  the  low  places  after  the  trains  have  passed 
over  it. 

DRESSING    BALLASTED    TRACK. 

11.  When  the  ballast  is  composed  of  gravel,  sand, 
and   loam,  and  only   a   small  quantity  is  used,   the 
track,  when  dressed  up,  should  be  filled  in  the  cen- 
ter a  little  heavier  than  dirt  ballasted  track  and  the 
ballast   gradually  sloped  off  on  both  sides  from  the 
center  of  the  track  to  a  point  at  about  half  the  thick- 
ness of  the  ties  at  the  outer  end.     If  the  ballast  used 
is  coarse  gravel,  or  cinders,  and   there  is   sufficient 
ballast  under  the  track  to  drain  it  well,  it  is  the  best 
when  dressing  the  track,  to  fill  up  between  the  outer 
ends  of  the  ties  with  ballast,  leaving  it  level  with  the 
tops  of  the  ties  and  then  putting  a  good  heavy  shoulder 
of  the  ballast  outside  the  ends  of  the  ties,  dividing 
the  material  evenly  on  each  side  of  the  track.     The 


94  THE  TBACKMAN'S  HELPEE. 

shoulder   of   track   should   be   of   a   regular    width. 
Where  there  is  a  surplus,  put  it  at  weak  places. 
A  DAY'S  WOEK. 

12.  Sixty  feet,  or  two  rail  lengths,  of  finished  track 
ballasted  per  man,  per  day,  is  generally  considered 
fair  work  for  a  surfacing  crew.     If  possible,  a  Foreman 
should   finish  up,  before  leaving   for  home,   all   the 
track  raised  during  the  day,  as  a  heavy  shower   of 
rain,  or  a  storm  of  snow  or  sleet  will  injure  any  track 
which  is  left  open  and  not  filled  in  the  center  between 
the  ties. 

A  little  good  judgment  will  enable  any  Foreman  to 
so  arrange  the  work,  that,  when  himself  and  his  men 
get  through  wojk  in  the  evening,  the  track  where 
they  were  working  will  be  in  good  shape,  and  safe, 
if  they  were  not  to  return  again  for  several  days.  It 
is  very  important  that  all  track  should  be  filled  in  and 
dressed  up  as  fast  as  it  is  surfaced,  in  order  to  pre- 
serve a  good  line  on  the  rails.  Track  which  is  not 
filled  between  the  ties  will  not  stay  in  line.  The 
heavier  a  track  can  be  filled  without  interfering  with 
its  drainage,  the  better  it  will  stay  in  line,  but  no 
material  should  be  piled  upon  or  around  the  track 
ties  which  would  in  any  way  stop  the  free  passage  of 
water  which  falls  011  the  track. 

EEFUSE  BALLAST  IN  CUTS. 

13.  Only  the  cleanest  of  gravel  ballast  should  be 
unloaded  in  cuts  to  ballast  track  with.     Where  it  is 
necessary  (in  order  to  get  rid  of  them  in  the  pit)  to 
haul  out  on  the  track,  together  with  the  gravel,  large 

'stones,  grass,  sods,  etc.,  they  should  always  be  dumped 
on  an  embankment  where  they  will  assist  in  strength- 
ening the  fill.  If  they  are  placed  in  cuts  they  must 


SUMMER    TRACK   WORK.  95 

be  removed  after  the  track  is  ballasted  so  that  the 
time  spent  at  this  work  is  wasted.  This  lost  labor 
amounts  to  considerable  when  many  miles  of  ballast 
is  handled.  There  are  very  few  gravel  pits  where  an 
occasional  train  of  clean  gravel  cannot  be  procured, 
and  even  where  part  of  the  train  load  is  composed  of 
poor  material,  when  unloading  it,  the  worst  cars  can 
be  cut  off  and  left  outside  the  end  of  the  cut,  and  the 
cleanest  gravel  unloaded  in  the  cut. 

HAVE  THE  TRACK  READY. 

14.  When  ballasting  track  or  raising  it  to  surface, 
the  Foreman  should  so  arrange  his  work  that  he  will 
have  the  track  ready  for  trains  when  due  to  pass  there. 
He  should  make  a  "run-off"  at  the  last  rail  of  track 
raised,  and  outer  ends  of  ties  should  at  least  be  tamp- 
ed up  before  a  train  is  allowed  to  pass  over  it.     The 
length  of  the  "run-off"  should  be  in  proportion  to  the 
height  the  track  is  raised.     Never  make  a  "run-off" 
too  short;  ft  is  better  to  flag  a  train  and  hold  it  until 
you  are  ready,  than  to  risk  surface,  bending  the  rails, 
or  wrecking  the    train.     Foremen    ballasting  track 
should  always  protect  themselves  against  wild  trains 
by  keeping  a  flag  out  against  them  and  off  the  time 
of  regular  trains. 

HIGH    RAISING. 

15.  When   track  is  raised  more  than  six  inches 
high,  to  put   ballast  under  it  out  of  a  face,  the  Fore- 
man employed  to  do  the  work  should  be  thoroughly 
competent  and  reliable.     One  Foreman  should  work 
the  larger  part  of  the  surfacing  gang,  and  with  them 
lift  the  track,  tamp  the  ties,  and  do  a  part  of  the  filling, 
leaving  the  track  behind  him  with  a   true  surface, 


96  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

perfectly  level  and  in  good  line.  Working  some  dis- 
tance behind  the  first  gang  another  Foreman  with  a 
smaller  crew  of  men  should  do  the  finishing  work. 
He  should  carry,  besides  his  other  tools,  a  full  set  of 
tamping  bars  and  raise  up  to  surface  all  depressions 
in  the  surface  of  the  track  made  by  trains  which 
passed  over  it  after  the  front  gang  left  it.  Every 
piece  of  track  taken  up  to  surface  by  the  second  gang, 
should  be  tamped  solid  to  a  perfect  surface  with 
tamping  bars,  they  should  also  put  a  true  line  on  the 
rails  and  fill  in  the  balance  of  the  gravel,  and  dress 
up  the  sides  and  center  of  the  track,  moving  all  sur- 
plus ballast  with  their  push  car  to  points  along  the 
line  where  it  is  needed  to  make  the  shoulder  of  a 
uniform  width. 

GRAVEL  REQUIRED  TO  BALLAST  A  MILE  OF  TRACK. 

16.  Allowing  an  average  of  thirty-three  feet  for 
each  car  length,  including  the  space  between  the  cars, 
one  hundred  and  sixty-three  cars  of  gravel  will  reach 
over  one  mile  of  track.  If  this  amount  of  gravel  is 
unloaded  by  hand,  or  plowed  off  from  the  cars,  which 
is  a  better  way,  and  if  the  trains  average  about  eight 
yards  of  gravel  to  the  car,  there  will  be  gravel  ballast, 
deposited  along  the  track  equal  to  six  inches  in  thick- 
ness, twelve  feet  wide  on  top,  and  twelve  feet  six 
inches  wide  at  the  bottom,  for  the  entire  length  of  one 
mile  of  track.  Deduct  from  the  above  amount  of 
gravel  about  one-half  for  filling  between  the  track 
ties  and  for  dressing  the  center  of  the  track  after  it 
has  been  surfaced  up,  and  there  is  still  left  a  balance 
of  about  three  inches  in  thickness  to  be  put  under 
the  bottom  of  the  track  ties. 

If  two  cars  of  gravel  are  unloaded  at  one   place, 


SUMMER   TRACK   WORK.  97 

the  depth  of  gravel  ballast  under  the  track  ties  is 
increased  about  three  fold. 

The  only  loss  from  the  second  carload  of  gravel  is 
about  one-twelfth,  which  goes  into  the  side  slope  of 
the  shoulder  of  the  fill. 

The  second  car  leaves  a  load  of  gravel  8-|  inches  in 
thickness  beneath  the  track  ties.  This  is  a  good 
argument  in  favor  of  ballasting  with  not  less  than 
two  carloads  of  gravel  in  a  place.  One  carload  in  a 
place  makes  a  very  poor  job,  especially  where  it  is 
put  under  the  track  without  digging  out  the  mud 
from  between  the  ties. 

Where  the  sub-grade  is  well  drained  and  solid,  a 
first  class  track  can  be  made  by  ballasting  with^two 
cars  of  gravel  in  a  place,  and  to  do  the  work  in  this 
way,  estimates  may  be  taken  at  the  rate  of  three 
hundred  and  twenty-five  cars  of  gravel  to  the  mile  of 
track.  The  embankment  should  not  be  less  than 
fourteen  feet  wide  on  top,  and  should  be  made 
sixteen  feet  wide,  if  possible,  before  putting  on  the 
gravel,  to  prevent  the  ballast  from  washing  away. 
Gravel  may  be  loaded  in  pit  for  75  cents  per  car, 
making  the  cost  for  one  mile,  one  car  to  the  rail  length, 
about  $125;  in  some  pits  the  work  may  be  done 
cheaper  by  building  a  trap  and  scraping  the  gravel 
onto  cars  with  horses. 

LEVEL   TRACK   IN   YARDS. 

17.  The  track  in  all  yards  should  be  surfaced 
level  throughout  their  entire  length,  and  all  tracks 
running  parallel  with  each  other  should  be  of  the 
same  height  when  possible  to  have  them  so.  When 
tracks  have  once  been  put  to  a  uniform  level  surface, 
no  part  of  them  should  be  raised  again  higher  than 


98  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

the  rest  of  the  yard  unless  it  is  intended  to  raise  the 
level  of  the  whole  yard.  Many  inexperienced  Fore- 
men, in  charge  of  yards,  think  it  is  necessary  every 
time  they  repair  track,  to  surface  it  a  little  higher, 
and  a  difference  of  several  inches  in  the  heights  of 
the  tracks  may  be  seen  in  some  yards.  This  is  a 
harmful  and  senseless  policy  and  should  not  be 
tolerated. 

HOW  TO  LEVEL  YARD  TRACKS. 

18.  A  simple  method  by  which  to  get  tracks  which 
run  parallel  to  each  other,  to  the  same  height,  is  as 
follows:  First,  put  up  the  main  track  properly,  then 
use  a  straight  edge  from  the  nearest  rail  of  the  adjoin- 
ing track  in  order  to  raise  it  to  a  level  with  the  main 
track.  You  can  then  move  to  a  point  several  rails 
ahead  on  the  main  track  and  repeat  the  operation. 
After  this  you  can  raise  and  sight,  level  the  track  on 
the  siding  between  the  two  points  which  you  have 
made  level  with  the  main  track.  A  Foreman  can 
level  a  track  lengthways  somewhat  in  the  same  way 
as  above  described. 

RULE: — Run  the  level  and  a  straight  edge  on  the 
top  of  two  or  three  stakes  running  parallel  with  the 
track  to  be  leveled,  and  do  the  same  at  a  place 
some  distance  from  that  point.  Then  sight  over  the 
tops  of  the  stakes  at  both  points,  and  have  a  man 
drive  stakes  between  the  two  places  where  you  have 
leveled,  until  the  stakes  which  he  has  driven,  are  at 
the  same  height  as  those  you  have  leveled  with  the 
level  and  straight  edge.  The  top  level  of  the  stakes 
will  be  the  level  of  the  track  rails.  In  important 
yards  the  company's  engineers  generally  give  level 
stakes  for  all  tracks. 


SUMMER   TRACK  WORK.  99 

GRAVEL    PITS. 

19.  A  few  words  about  the  gravel  pit  will  not  be 
out  of  place  in  this  book. 

On  roads  where  stone,  or  other  kinds  of  ballast  is 
scarce,  or  cannot  be  procured,  a  gravel  pit  along  the 
line  is  very  desirable.  There  are  very  few  roads  that 
cannot  find  at  least  one  or  two  gravel  pits  along  a 
division. 

After  the  gravel  pit  has  been  purchased,  and  when 
the  work  of  removing  the  gravel  is  about  to  com- 
mence, the  Foreman  in  charge  of  the  work  should 
thoroughly  examine  the  lay  of  the  land  and  find  out 
how  his  track  must  be  laid  in  order  to  get  the  deepest 
face  of  gravel  to  work  on.  Of  course,  at  the  same 
time,  the  best  location  for  the  track  must  be  arranged 
for  the  accommodation  of  trains,  and  this  should  be 
done  with  a  view  to  future  improvements. 

The  track  should  always  be  longer  than  the  face  of 
the  gravel  in  the  pit,  so  that  one,  ten,  or  any  number 
of  cars  could  be  loaded  without  danger  of  spoiling 
the  line  of  the  pit  face.  This  is  very  important,  be- 
cause where  a  short  track  is  put  in  on  account  of  a 
handy  place  to  put  in  the  switch,  or  for  the  reason 
that  there  is  not  much  gravel  needed  at  that  time,  the 
face  of  the  pit,  contracts  and  becomes  so  short  that 
the  loading  place  is  only  like  a  sink  hole  in  the 
ground,  and  it  soon  becomes  difficult  for  an  engine 
to  pull  out  of  the  pit  more  than  two  or  three  cars  at 
a  time,  making  necessary  six  or  seven  switches  to  do 
what  could  be  done  in  one,  with  a  good  track.  Be- 
sides this,  there  are  other  reasons  why  a  short  track 
should  not  be  used.  The  men  loading  the  gravel 
keep  lining  the  track  over  as  the  bank  recedes  and 


100  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

there  is  soon  a  heavy  curve  in  the  track  which  follows 
around  the  edge  of  the  excavation,  so  that  it  is  only  a 
short  time  until  the  track  has  to  be  torn  up  and  the 
work  all  done  over  again.  Now  is  the  time  the  loss 
occasioned  by  gouging  a  hole  in  the  bank  is  dis- 
covered. If  the  track  is  laid  along  the  face  of  the 
pit,  cars  can  only  be  loaded  at  either  end  of  the  pit, 
and  there  is  loss  of  time  from  placing  cars, 
switching,  etc.,  and  perhaps  the  two  ends  of  the  pit 
next  the  track  are  not  long  enough  together  to  allow 
a  full  train  of  gravel  to  be  loaded  at  once,  and  there  is 
no  help  for  it  except  to  work  at  the  ends  of  the  pit 
until  the  gravel  can  be  reached  all  along  the  track. 

Another  argument  in  favor  of  a  longer  track,  is  that 
the  face  of  the  gravel  can  be  increased  in  depth  by 
lowering  the  track. 

Foremen  in  charge  of  loading  gravel  should  see 
that  the  men  load  gravel  in  one  place  until  there  is  a 
space  on  that  side  of  the  track  at  least  two  or  three 
feet  lower  than  the  ties  and  wide  enough  to  let  the 
track  into  it.  The  track  should  then  be  lined  over 
and  the  men  could  load  on  each  side  of  the  cars 
Every  foot  that  the  face  of  gravel  can  be  deepened, 
makes  the  cost  of  loading  it  less,  and  reduces  the 
proportion  of  top  soil  which  mixes  with  the  gravel 
Men  loading  gravel  on  cars  will  load  more  cars,  if 
paid  by  the  car,  than  in  any  other  way.  When  the 
work  of  loading  is  not  let  to  the  men  in  the  above 
way  the  Foreman  should  divide  his  gang  so  many 
men  to  each  car;  this  makes  them  compete  with  each 
other. 

The  steam  shovel,  with  a  sufficient  number  of 
gravel  trains,  of  flat  cars,  and  one  or  two  plows  and 


SUMMER   TRACK   WORK.  101 

wire  cables,  is  the  best  equipment  to  use,  for  econom- 
ically getting  out  gravel  from  the  pit,  to  the  place 
where  the  track  is  to  be  ballasted. 

GRAVEL   VS.   WEEDS. 

20.  When  ballast  is  scarce  or  the  business  of  a 
railroad  will  not  warrant  an  expenditure  equal  to 
ballasting  the  whole  road,  it  is  a  wise  policy  to  put 
gravel  ballast  on  a  part  of  each  section,  more  especi- 
ally on  long  sections  with  only  small  gangs  of  men 
to  keep  up  the  track.  When  possible,  the  gravel  or 
other  ballast  should  be  put  on  that  end  of  the  section 
which  is  farthest  from  the  Section  Foreman's  head- 
quarters. Besides  the  saving  effected  on  a  long  sec- 
tion, by  reducing  the  cost  of  cutting  the  weeds,  the 
ballasted  piece  of  track,  being  the  best  part  of  the 
road,  will  save  for  the  company  many  hundreds  of 
dollars  which  would  otherwise  be  paid  out  for  pump- 
ing the  hand  car  the  extra  distance  to  and  from  work 
every  day.  The  cost  of  cutting  the  weeds  on  eight 
miles  of  dirt  ballasted  track  for  one  season,  on  many 
railroad  divisions,  would  pay  for  the  loading  and  haul- 
ing of  gravel,  and  putting  in  first  class  condition  two 
miles  of  track  or  one-fourth  of  the  eight-mile  section. 
Putting  the  ballast  under  the  track  in  small  quantities 
at  a  time  in  one  place,  need  not  cost  the  company  any- 
thing extra,  as  the  section  crews  can  do  this  as  well 
as  cut  the  weeds,  and  in  most  cases  the  work  will  be 
better  done  than  by  an  extra  gang. 

It  costs  less  to  maintain  a  gravel  track  in  first  class 
condition,  after  it  has  been  put  up  properly,  than  any 
of  the  other  kinds,  whether  of  mud,  cinders  or  stone, 
and  the  ratio  of  cost  increases  from  gravel  to  stone, 
as  the  ballasts  are  named  respectively. 


FALL  TRACK  WORK. 
CHAPTER  IV. 

1,  Pall  Track  Work— 2,  Cleaning  the  Right  of  Way— 3,  Raising  up  Sags  in 
Track  Surface— 4,  Narrow  Embankments— 5,  Haul  Out  Material  from 
Cuts— 6,  To  Remedy  too  wide  an  Opening  at  the  Joints. 

7,  Building  Fences— 8,  Board  Fences— 9,  Fence  Tables— 10,  Weight  of  Nails 
—11,  Weight  of  Fence  Wire— 12,  A  Day's  Labor. 

1.  Track  Foremen  will  find  plenty  of  work  to  do 
during  the  fall  months  before  the  ground  freezes, 
preparing  their  sections  to  go  through  the  long  win- 
ter months  with  as  little  repair  work  as  possible.  If 
the  weather  is  good  more  work  can  be  done  (which 
will  benefit  the  track)  in  one  month  before  the  ground 
freezes  than  can  be  performed  during  the  whole  winter. 

Section  Foremen  should  find  all  the  worst  places  in 
the  track  and  repair  them  in  the  best  manner  possible. 

Special  attention  should  be  given  to  improve  the 
surface  of  the  track  and  putting  a  perfect  line  and 
gage  on  the  rails. 

The  roadbed  should  be  cleared  of  weeds  and  grass 
and  the  ballast  along  the  shoulder  of  the  track  and 
between  the  rails  should  be  dressed  up  neatly ;  joint 
fastenings  should  be  made  tight,  and  the  ditches  in 
all  cuts  should  be  cleaned  out. 

Any  rotten  ties  remaining  in  the  track  should  be 
taken  out  and  replaced  by  new  ones. 

All  new  steel  should  be  laid  before  cold  weather. 
The  joint  ties  should  be  spaced  properly  and  ballast 


FALL   TRACK   WORK.  103 

put  under  the  track,  and  at  other  points  on  the  road 
where  steel  is  not  laid  good  repair  rails  should  be  put 
into  the  track  to  replace  those  which  have  become 
battered.  Dead  grass,  weeds  and  other  rubbish  should 
be  cut  or  cleaned  away  from  around  the  wood  work  of 
all  bridges,  culverts  or  cattle  guards,  and  the  rubbish 
should  be  gathered  up  and  burned. 

In  a  prairie  country  the  grass  along  the  right  of 
way  on  both  sides  of  the  track  should  be  burned  off 
clean  as  quick  as  it  is  dry  enough,  and  the  tops  of  the 
cuts  should  be  burned  off  first,  to  prevent  the  loco- 
motives from  setting  fires  on  farm  lands  adjoining. 
All  right  of  way  fences  should  be  examined  and  re- 
paired and  snow  fences  should  be  put  in  good  condi- 
tion to  be  ready  for  the  first  snow  storm.  All  track 
material  should  be  piled  at  the  stations,  a  safe  dis- 
tance from  the  track,  and  where  it  would  not  cause 
snow  drifts,  or  be  liable  to  catch  fire. 

Rails,  splices  and  such  other  material  should  be 
raised  from  the  ground  and  piled  upon  platforms  of 
old  ties  so  there  will  be  no  difficulty  in  handling  them 
after  snow  falls  on  the  ground. 

All  ties,  fence  posts,  engine  wood,  or  lumber,  should 
be  corded  up  with  spaces  between  the  piles  so  that 
in  case  of  fire  it  could  not  communicate  to  a  large 
quantity  at  once.  Emergency  rails  and  joint  splices 
should  be  placed  at  the  mile  posts  along  the  section 
where  they  would  be  handy  in  case  of  broken  rails. 
Much  of  the  fall  trackwork  is  the  same  as  that  done 
during  the  spring  or  summer.  But  Foremen  should 
be  particular  to  do  this  season  of  the  year  all  work 
which  can  only  be  imperfectly  done  in  the  winter  or 
must  wait  over  until  the  following  spring. 


104  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

CLEANING  THE  RIGHT  OF  WAY. 

2.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  month  of  July,  or  be- 
fore the  weeds  growing  along  the  railroad   right  of 
way  run  to  seed,  the  Section  Foreman  should  com- 
mence mowing,  and  cutting  down  all  grass,  brush  and 
weeds  from  the  shoulder  of  the  track  out  to  the  right 
of  way  limits.     This  work  should  be  pushed  when  once 
begun,  and  as  soon  thereafter  as  the  material  which 
was  mowed  down  is  dry  enough,  it  should  be  gathered 
into  piles  and  burned  clean,  or  disposed  of  in  some 
way,   without  danger     to  the   company's    property. 

The  grass  and  weeds  growing  around  the  ends  of 
culverts,  or  close  to  the  bridges,  should  be  mowed 
down,  while  the  surrounding  grass  is  still  so  green  it 
will  not  burn,  in  order  that  the  mowed  grass,  when 
dry,  may  be  burnt  without  danger  of  the  wind  spread- 
ing the  fire,  and  to  prevent  other  fires  from  reaching 
the  wood  work,  when  burning  off  the  right  of  way 
afterwards.  In  localities  where  the  sections  are  long, 
and  only  a  small  force  of  men  is  employed,  the  right 
of  way  mowing  is  sometimes  only  done  for  a  short 
distance  out  from  the  shoulder  on  each  side  along  the 
track,  and  the  balance  of  the  right  of  way  is  left  to  be 
burnt  off  later  in  the  fall. 

RAISING   UP   SAGS   IN   TBACK   SURFACE. 

3.  It  frequently  happens  that  a  Track  Foreman 
will  undertake  to  raise  the  track  in  a  sag  up  to  level 
surface   without  any   knowledge  of  the   amount   of 
material  necessary  to  put  under  the  track  or  the  time 
it  will  require  to  do  the  work  with  the  force  at  his 
command.     In  some   cases,   the   time   consumed   in 
taking  up  a  sag  is  so  great  that  other  parts  of  the 


FALL    TRACK   WOEK.  105 

track  which  should  be  attended  to  are  neglected. 
The  following  simple  rule  will  enable  Track  Foremen 
to  make  a  very  close  estimate  of  the  amount  of  labor 
and  material  required  to  bring  any  sag  up  to  surface. 
RULE: — Set  two  stakes,  A  and  B,  close  to  the  track 
rails  and  level  with  their  top  surface  at  each  end  of 
the  sag,  as  shown  in  Fig.  13.  Then  set  a  third  stake 
C  at  the  middle  of  the  sag  and  in  line  with  A  and  B, 
and  drive  it  down  until  the  top  of  it  is  level  with  the 
tops  of  the  outer  two  stakes.  You  can  ascertain 
whether  this  is  the  case  by  sighting  over  A  and  B. 
Measiire  the  height  of  stake  C  above  the  ground  and 
multiply  it  by  the  distance  in  feet  from  A  to  B,  and 
again  multiply  the  product  by  14  or  16  feet  for  the 
width  of  the  embankment.  This  will  give  you  the 
contents  in  cubic  feet  and  dividing  the  whole  number 
of  cubic  feet  by  54  will  be  the  number  of  cubic  yards 
of  dirt  or  ballast  which  will  be  required  to  surface  up 
the  sag.  If  the  sag  is  deeper  than  twelve  inches  an 
allowance  of  one  foot  in  width  for  each  foot  in  depth 
should  be  made  up  for  the  side  slopes.  An  allowance 
of  about  one-sixth  of  the  depth  below  level  in  some 
cases  should  be  made  on  the  middle  of  light  sags 
when  surfacing  up.  This  can  best  be  done  by  level- 
ing a  sight  board  the  proper  height  in  the  middle  of 
the  sag  and  sighting  the  track  to  it  from  one  end, 
and  from  that  point  sighting  the  rails  to  where  the 
sag  runs  out  at  the  other  end.  A  sag,  which  has  only 
been  raised  level  with  the  track  on  each  side  of  it, 
will  soon  become  low  again  in  the  middle  unless  made 
very  solid. 

NARROW   EMBANKMENTS. 

4.    Many  Section  Foremen   have  a  habit  of  dig- 


106 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


FALL    TRACK   WORK.  107 

ging  holes  in  the  embankment  just  outside  the  ends 
of  the  track  ties  when  they  want  a  little  dirt  Or  bal- 
last to  pick  up  or  dress  the  track.  This  is  all  wrong. 
On  a  mud  track  if  material  is  wanted  for  this  purpose 
it  should  be  taken  from  the  nearest  cut  with  the  sec- 
tion push  car  or  if  the  fill  is  not  very  deep  the  Fore- 
man should  set  his  men  throwing  up  dirt  from 
outside  the  bottom  of  the  original  fill.  There  the 
necessary  material  can  be  procured  without  injuring 
the  embankment,  sufficiently  to  make  it  liable  to 
wash  away  or  weakening  it  as  a  support  for  the  track. 
The  preference  should  always  be  given  to  material 
from  a  cut  even  when  the  cost  is  a  little  greater.  A 
double  purpose  is  served  by  removing  the  surplus 
which  accumulates  in  the  ditches  and  putting  it  on 
the  fill  to  strengthen  it.  Of  course,  where  track  is 
ballasted  with  gravel,  or  other  like  material,  dirt 
should  not  be  mixed  with  it,  but  when  only  a  small  quan- 
tity of  material  is  needed  it  can  be  taken  from  places 
where  the  ballast  is  the  heaviest  along  the  shoulder 
of  the  track.  Whenever  any  material  is  taken  from 
a  grade  or  wasted  thereon,  such  places  should  be 
leveled  off,  dressed  and  finshed  up  in  a  workman  like 
manner.  Never  leave  unsightly  holes  along  the  track. 
Both  sides  of  the  embankment  should  be  the  same 
width  outside  the  ties,  if  possible,  and  grass  should 
be  encouraged  to  grow  along  the  slopes,  because  it 
offers  the  best  protection  against  weeds  and  washouts. 
Section  Foremen  should  not  attempt  to  raise  up  track 
on  high  narrow  fills  in  order  to  surface  it.  At  such 
places  it  is  always  best  to  pick  up  and  tamp  only 
joints  or  other  low  places  in  the  rail,  and  keep  the 
track  in  good  line  until  you  can  get  enough  dirt  or 


108  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

ballast  to  leave  a  good  shoulder  outside  the  ties  after 
raising  up  the  track  to  surface. 

HAUL  OUT  MATERIAL  FROM  CUTS. 

5.  Where  the  distance  between  cuts  is  short,  and 
the .  track  fill  between  is  high  and  narrow,    Section 
Foremen  should  make  good  wide  ditches  in  the  cuts, 
and  haul  out  on  their  push  car  the  material  from  the 
ditches,  and  distribute  it  evenly  on  both  sides  of  the 
track.     This  work  should  be  done  either  early  in  the 
spring,  or  late  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  or  when  the 
facilities  for  doing  other  work  are  not  good. 

TO    REMEDY    TOO   WIDE   AN   OPENING   AT   THE   JOINTS. 

6.  Track  is  often  laid  with  too  wide  an  opening  at 
the  joints,  and  as  a  result  the  ends  of  the  rails  batter 
down  very  quickly  and  the  joint  splices  often  break 
and  tear  apart,  owing  to  the  contraction  of  the  rails 
in  extremely  cold  weather.     Track  Foremen  who  are 
troubled  with  this  state  of  affairs  should  try  to  remedy 
it  at  once  in  the  following  manner: 

Loosen  the  bolts  in  forty  or  fifty  joints  and  pull 
out  all  the  slot  spikes  which  are  used  to  control  the 
expansion,  whether  driven  in  the  rail  slot  or  joint 
fastenings.  Then  select  a  space  about  midway  to 
take  out  one  or  two  of  the  rails  on  each  side  of  the 
track.  Have  ready  to  replace  the  rails  which  you 
take  out,  one  or  two  rails  the  combined  length  of 
which  will  be  six  or  eight  inches  greater  than  that  of 
the  rails  which  you  take  out,  allowing  this  length  to 
be  a  little  less  than  the  total  amount  you  wish  to 
close  the  joints.  Have  your  men  get  astride  of  one 
loose  rail,  lift  it  up  and  bunt  back  the  track  rails  on 
each  side  of  the  opening  until  it  is  wide  enough  to 


FALL   TRACK   WORK.  109 

admit  of  putting  in  the  longer  rails,  then  bolt  and 
spike  the  rails  to  place,  dividing  the  expansion  on  the 
other  joints  afterwards. 

Follow  out  this  methed  at  different  points  along 
your  section  wherever  you  see  it  is  necessary,  and 
you  will  have  no  more  trouble  with  rails  tearing 
apart  in  cold  weather,  endangering  trains  and  increas- 
ing your  responsibility.  The  rails  will  wear  much 
longer,  and  you  can  keep  a  much  better  surface  on 
the  track.  But  Foremen  should  exercise  judgement 
in  this  matter  and  be  sure  that  the  expansion  is  so 
distributed  that  there  will  be  no  danger  of  making 
the  joints  too  tight  for  warm  weather. 

When  you  have  fixed  a  piece  of  track  the  above 
way,  provide  some  new  ties  and  put  one  into  track 
under  the  center  of  every  rail  joint  which  has  been 
moved  out  of  its  place  on  the  track  ties,  when  you 
were  shifting  the  rails. 

Both  jobs  should  always  be  done  at  the  same  time 
and  low  joints  tamped  up  to  surface,  the  ties  spaced 
properly  so  that  the  spikes  may  be  driven  in  their 
proper  places  and  prevent  track  creeping. 


BUILDING   FENCES. 

7.  It  is  sometimes  the  duty  of  Section  Foremen  to 
build  wire  fences  along  the  railroad  right  of  way 
limits;  and  as  there  are  many  foremen  who  have  had 
no  experience  in  this  branch  of  work,  it  will  not  be 
out  of  place  here  to  give  a  good  practical  method  for 
performing  this  duty. 

Measure  with  a  tape  line  from  the  center  of  the 
track  to  the  right  of  way  limits,  which  is  generally 


110  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

fifty  feet,  and  set  a  stake  in  the  ground.  This  should 
be  the  outside  face  of  the  fence  posts  when  set  in  the 
ground.  Where  the  track  is  straight  these  measure- 
ments need  be  taken  only  at  distances  of  forty  or 
eighty  rods,  but  around  a  curve  they  should  be  taken 
every  sixty  or  hundred  feet,  in  order  to  have  the  fence 
conform  to  the  line  of  the  track. 

Peel  the  bark  from  all  fence  posts  and  set  their  cen- 
ters sixteen  feet  apart,  when  not  otherwise  ordered, 
so  that  boards  may  be  nailed  on  them  if  desired. 
To  line  the  fence  and  regulate  the  distance  between 
posts,  use  a  chain  or  line  two  hundred  feet  long  for 
straight  track,  and  one  hundred  feet,  or  less,  for  curve 
track.  Have  tin  tags  at  regular  distances  on  your 
chain,  or  tie  knots  in  the  line  to  mark  where  the 
center  of  each  post  hole  should  come,  and  when  the 
line  is  stretched,  take  a  spade  and  remove  a  little  of 
the  sod  or  top  surface  of  the  ground  opposite  the 
marks  on  the  line  as  a  guide  for  the  men  digging  the 
post  holes.  The  line  may  then  be  moved  ahead. 

Set  all  posts  two  and  one-half  feet  in  the  ground, 
and  have  the  men  who  are  digging,  carry  a  measuring 
stick  with  which  to  determine  the  correct  depth  of 
the  post  holes,  and  thus  have  all  the  posts  of  a  uniform 
height  above  the  ground.  A  good  way  to  save  sight- 
ing along  straight  track  is  to  set  a  post  every  forty  or 
eighty  rods  with  a  temporary  brace,  and  stretch  one 
wire  of  the  fence  to  use  as  a  guide  to  set  them  by. 

When  putting  on  wires,  if  you  are  not  furnished  a 
wire  stretcher,  the  wire  may  be  tightened  by  taking 
a  turn  of  it  around  a  lining  bar.  Stick  the  point  of 
the  bar  in  the  ground  diagonally  from  you,  and  pull 
( >n  the  top  of  bar  with  the  right  hand.  In  this  way 
you  can  take  up  the  slack. 


FALL   TKACK  WORK.  Ill 

Fence  wire  should  not  be  stretched  too  tight  in 
warm  weather,  or  it  will  break  when  it  contracts  in 
the  winter.  Always  put  the  wire  on  the  farmer's  side 
of  the  fence  posts,  except  on  the  inside  of  curves. 
Then  the  wire  should  be  on  the  track  side  of  the 
posts,  to  strengthen  the  fence.  A  good  brace  should 
be  put  in  at  the  end  of  each  piece  of  fence,  or  at  any 
point  where  the  fence  turns  an  angle  at  the  end  of 
fence,  also  at  farm  gates  and  cattle  guards.  See  Figs. 
14  and  15. 

Mortice  one  end  of  the  brace  into  the  top  of  the 
corner  post,  and  the  other  end  into  the  botttom  of 
the  post  adjoining,  where  it  enters  the  ground.  Pro- 
vide a  board  with  notches  cut  into  it  at  distances 
equal  to  the  proper  space  between  the  wires.  The 
wires  may  be  hung  in  the  notches,  and  the  board  will 
keep  them  in  position  while  they  are  being  fastened 
to  the  posts. 

Have  the  men  well  organized.  Divide  a  gang  of 
sixteen  about  as  follows:  Assign  two  men  to  lay  out 
the  fence;  six  to  dig  post  holes;  four  to  set  the  posts; 
and  four  to  string  the  wires  and  fasten  them.  Move 
the  men  occasionally  from  parts  of  the  work  which 
are  the  most  advanced,  to  parts  which  are  behind. 
When  crossing  creeks  or  marshy  places,  it  is  well  to 
turn  the  fence  in  at  right  angle  to  end  of  the  bridge 
and  string  the  wires  across  on  the  piles. 

Order  material  as  follows:  Fence  wire,  one  pound 
for  every  single  wire  panel  of  sixteen  feet;  staples, 
one  and  three-fourths  pounds  for  each  hundred 
pounds  or  spool  of  wire  used. 

When  spacing  wires,  have  the  bottom   wires  the 


112 


THE   TRACKMAN S    HELPER. 


PALL  TEACK  "WORK. 


113 


1   I 


114  THE  TRACKMAN"^  HELPER. 

closest  together.  For  instances,  for  a  five  wire  fence 
four  and  one-half  feet  high,  place  bottom  wire  eight 
inches  above  the  ground;  the  second  wire  ten  inches 
above  the  first,  and  the  other  three  wires  each  twelve 
inches  above  the  last,  or  the  third  wire  from  the 
bottom  could  be  spaced  ten  inches  above  the  second, 
and  the  top  wire  fourteen  inches  above  the  fourth. 
The  latter  is  the  best  method  where  it  is  desirable 
to  fence  against  all  kinds  of  stock.  The  top  of  fence 
posts  should  not  be  more  than  six  inches  above  the 
top  wire  of  the  fence,  and  all  posts  when  set  and 
tamped  solid  should  be  all  in  perfect  line  and  a 
uniform  height  from  the  ground.  When  posts  are 
irregular  in  length,  the  surplus  timber  should  be 
sawed  off  if  it  amounted  to  four  or  more  inches,  but 
where  the  post  is  only  two  or  three  inches  too  long, 
the  hole  may  be  deepened  sufficiently  to  leave  it  the 
proper  height  when  set. 

If  a  post  is  two  or  three  inches  short  fill  up  the 
hole  sufficiently  to  bring  it  to  the  right  height  above  the 
ground.  But  should  it  be  as  much  as  six  inches  too 
short,  do  not  use  it  in  the  fence  except  at  some  places 
where  it  would  answer  for  a  short  brace.  To  regulate 
the  height  of  fence  post  above  the  ground,  have  a 
standard  made  the  correct  height,  and  nail  square 
across  the  bottom  of  it  a  cross  piece  two  feet  long, 
which  will  prevent  slight  inequalities  in  the  surface 
of  the  ground  from  affecting  the  height  when  placed 
beside  the  post.  This  standard  can  also  be  arranged 
to  regulate  the  distance  between  the  boards  or  wires 
as  they  are  nailed  on  the  fence. 

A  fence  with  the  top  wire  or  top  board  four  and 


FAEL  TRACK  WORK.  115 

one-half  feet  from  the  ground  is  a  lawful  fence  in 
most  of  the  states. 

BOARD    FENCES. 

8.  In  building  a  board  fence,  the  setting  of 
posts  and  nailing  on  of  the  boards,  can  be  done  at  the 
same  time/  Always  use  the  shortest  boards  to  meas- 
ure from  one  post  to  the  next  one  to  be  set;  the  longer 
boards  can  be  sawed  the  proper  length.  Nail  the 
boards  on  the  out  side  of  the  fence.  Several  men  can  be 
nailing  on  boards  at  once,  by  ending  the  boards  against 
those  last  nailed  on  the  adjoining  panel.  On  straight 
track,  sighting  posts  can  be  set  at  the  proper  distance 
from  the  track,  every  forty  or  sixty  rods  ahead  of  the 
men  digging  the  post  holes.  But  on  curve  track,  to 
make  a  good  fence  and  have  it  in  line,  every  panel 
post  should  be  measured  from  the  center  of  the  track, 
and  a  stake  set  for  it.  This  is  not  much  of  a  job,  if 
two  men  go  along  the  track  carrying  the  tape  line 
stretched  from  place  to  place,  while  a  third  man  sets 
stakes  for  the  posts.  By  laying  a  board  against  the 
two  panel  posts,  it  lines  the  place  for  the  middle 
posts.  A  bracket,  made  the  proper  height  from  the 
ground  with  the  projections  on  it  to  fit  between  the 
boards,  making  the  spaces  the  correct  width,  is  very 
handy  when  building  a  board  fence.  It  makes  a  much 
better  fence  than  when  the  spacing  is  done  by  guess, 
and  saves  measuring  the  spaces. 

If  board  fence  is  built  with  the  boards  meeting  on 
the  same  side  of  the  post,  a  batten  should  be  nailed 
over  the  joint  from  the  ground  to  the  top  of  the  post. 

For  a  permanent  snow  fence  constructed  with 
posts  and  boards,  the  posts  may  be  set  about  fifteen 
feet  four  inches  apart,  and  the  ends  of  the  boards  can 
be  nailed  on  opposite  sides  of  each  panel  post.  By 


116 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  .HELPER. 


this  method  there  is  a  larger  amount  of  the  board 
available  for  nailing  when  putting  them  up  again 
after  being  torn,  or  blown  off.  It  also  saves  the  labor 
of  sawing  off  the  ends  of  the  boards  to  make  them 
meet  square  on  the  post. 

FENCE  TABLES. 

9.  The  following  tables  will  be  useful  to  Foremen, 
when  estimating  the  amount  of  fencing  material  re- 
quired to  build  a  post  and  board,  or  wire  fence. 

TABLE  SHOWING  NUMBER  OF  POSTS  REQUIRED  TO 
BUILD  ONE  MILE  OF  FENCE. 


DISTANCE             '   NO     POSTS   IN    &         NO.   POSTS  IN    '/2           NO.    POSTS  IN   1 

BETWEEN    POSTS.                      MILE. 

MILE. 

MILE. 

8  feet.               116 

331 

661 

12     "                  111 

221 

441 

16    " 

83 

166 

331 

20    " 

67 

133 

265 

32    " 

42 

83 

166 

TABLE  SHOWING  THE  NUMBER  OF  BOARDS  REQUIRED  TO 

BUILD  ^  MILE,  ^  MILE,  OR  1  MILE  OF  FENCE 

AT  A  GIVEN  NUMBER  PER  PANEL. 


NO.  OF  B'BDS.  PER 
PANEL. 

ONE-FOURTH  MIUC. 

ONE-HALF  MILE. 

ONE  MILE. 

4  boards. 

330 

660 

1320 

5        " 

412£ 

825 

1650 

6 

495 

990 

1980 

7        " 

577£ 

1155 

2310 

8 

660 

1320 

2640 

9 

742* 

1485 

2970 

10 

825 

1650 

3300 

One   sixteen-foot   fence   board  contains   8   square 
feet  of  lumber.     If   a  lumber  estimate  is  required, 


PALL   TBACK   WORK.  117 

multiply  the  number  of  boards  wanted  by  eight,  and 
the  result  is  the  number  of  square  feet. 

EXAMPLE: — 4  boards  per  panel  for  £  mile  of  track= 
330x8=2,640  sq.  ft.  of  lumber. 

10.  WEIGHT  OF   NAILS. 

55,   10  penny,  common  nails,  weigh  one  pound. 

45    12       "             "  "           "  "  " 

30[  10       "  fence 

28     19"              "  "           "  "  " 

To  ascertain  the  amount  of  nails  wanted  to  build 
a  given  length  of  fence,  multiply  the  number  of 
boards  by  6,  and  divide  the  result  by  the  number  of 
nails  to  the  pound. 

EXAMPLE: — For  \  mile  board  fence,  330  boards,  4 
per  panel;  number  of  nails  per  board  6;  number  of 
fence  nails  per  pound  30:  330x6=1980-5-30=66  Ibs. 

WEIGHT   OF   FENCE  WIRE. 

11.  The  average  weight  of  the  wire  now  used  by 
railroads  is  very  close  to  one  pound  per  rod  for  one 
wire,  or  about  6|  per  100  feet  in  length.     When  mak- 
ing estimates  for  wire  fence,  about  10  pounds  to  the 
mile  of  fence  may  be  added  for  tying,  splicing,  etc. 
The   weight  of  staples  varies   according  to   the  size 
used.     70  staples  to  the  pound  is  the  size  most  com- 
monly used  in  building  railroad  fence. 

A  DAY'S  LABOR. 

12.  The  average  day's  labor  for  one  man  at  building 
post  and  board  fence,  where  the  boards  meet  on  the 
post,  six  to  a  panel,  and  the  work  of  setting  the  posts 
is  included,  is  about  eight  to  ten  panels  of  fence  com- 
plete.    When  the  ends  of  the  boards  lap  on  opposite 
sides  of  the  posts,  thirteen  to  fifteen  panels  can  be 


118  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

constructed  by  one  man  in  a  day.  Building  a  post 
and  wire  fence,  posts  one  rod  apart,  and  four  strands 
of  wire,  a  man  can  construct  about  fifteen  panels  in 
a  day;  but  a  great  deal  depends  on  the  conditions 
under  which  the  work  is  performed,  the  quality  of 
material  used,  and  the  quality  or  general  excellence 
of  the  work  when  finished.  The  results  obtained 
from  a  man's  labor,  depend,  first,  on  his  intelligence: 
next,  on  his  willingness  to  work;  and  lastly,  on  his 
physical  endurance.  These  three  requisites  should 
always  be  considered  by  a  Foreman  when  employing 
men;  and  when  possible  he  should  always  choose 
for  his  men,  those  who  possess  all  the  qualities 
mentioned. 


WINTER  TRACK  WORK. 
CHAPTER  V. 

1.  Winter  Truck  Work— 2,  Shimming  Track— 3,  Heaved  Bridges  and  Culverts 
-  4,  Report  Amount  of  Suow— 5,  Snow  ou  Side  Tracks— 6,  Snow  in 

Cuts— 7,  Flanging  Track— 8,  Opening  Ditches  and  Culverts— ».  Snow 

Walls— 10,  Snow  Fences. 
1,  Bucking  Snow— 2,    Two  Locomotives— 3,    A  Piece  of  Steam  Hose— 4, 

Length  of  Runs — 5,  Preparing  Drifts. 

1.  There  are  many  kinds  of  track  work  which  the 
section  men  should  do  during  the  winter  months  on 
northwestern  roads,  all  of  which  are  important,  and 
assist  materially  to  lighten  and  advance  the  work  of 
the  following  spring  and  summer. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  winter,  when  the  cold 
weather  has  contracted  the  rails,  its  effect  on  the 
rail  joints,  bolts,  and  splices  should  be  noticed  by  the 
Foreman,  and  all  loose  bolts  should  be  tightened  up, 
arid  broken  or  cracked  splices  should  be  replaced  by 
good  ones. 

All  open  joints  should  be  closed  to  the  proper  space, 
especially  in  the  switches,  to  prevent  the  ends  of  the 
rails  from  becoming  battered,  and  to  save  car  wheels 
from  breaking  when  passing  over  wide  openings  be- 
tween the  ends  of  the  rails,  as  often  happens  in  cold 
weather.  All  battered  rails  should  be  taken  out  of 
the  track  and  replaced  by  good  ones.  When  the 
number  is  so  great  that  they  cannot  all  be  removed  in 
a  short  time,  good  repair  rails  and  splices  should  be 


120  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

distributed  every  mile  or  two  along  the  section,  so 
tliat  when  snow  on  the  track,  or  bad  weather  inter- 
feres, broken  rails  or  spikes  can  be  replaced  without 
any  difficulty  or  unnecessary  delay.  As  the  winter 
advances,  all  good  weather  should  be  taken  advantage 
of,  and  every  spike  above  the  rail  or  flange,  or  leaning 
from  it,  should  be  knocked  down  to  place,  and  all  of 
the  track  should  be  brought  to  a  perfect  gage. 

Cleaning  switches  and  yard  tracks,  and  flanging  out 
the  main  track  after  snow  storms;  shimming  track, 
peeling  the  bark  from  ties,  distributing  ties  for  spring 
work,  opening  up  ditches,  and  culverts,  etc.,  all  add  to 
the  Section  Foreman's  labor,  and  it  requires  a  man  of 
good  judgment  and  energy  to  keep  all  of  his  work 
done  properly  at  the  right  time  and  place. 

If  a  Foreman  keeps  the  loose  spikes  knocked  down 
to  place,  and  a  good  gage  on  his  track,  he  will  be 
surprised  at  the  splendid  line  which  he  can  have  on 
his  track  the  following  summer,  and  trains  will  ride 
over  it  without  that  disagreeable  side  motion  of  the 
cars  which  knocks  the  line  and  surface  out  of  the 
track,  and  is  so  fatal  to  the  comfort  of  passengers. 

SHIMMING   TRACK. 

2.  Shimming  track  is  a  very  important  kind  of 
winter  work  on  northern  railroads,  and  should  be  done 
with  a  view  to  keeping  straight  track  level,  smooth 
and  safe,  and  the  proper  elevation  of  the  outer  rails 
on  curves. 

Shims  are  placed  under  the  track  rails  to  raise  up 
the  low  places  to  a  smooth  surface,  and  care  should 
be  taken  to  bring  the  rails  to  their  proper  place  with 
the  spirit  level,  where  the  track  has  heaved  up.  All 
shims  over  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  thickness  should 


WINTER   TRACK  WORK.  121 

have  holes  bored  through  them  for  the  track  spikes. 
This  can  best  be  done  by  boring  the  holes  through  a 
block  of  straight  grained  hard  wood,  six  inches  wide 
by  ten  inches  long,  and  splitting  off  the  shims  as 
thick  as  needed. 

The  top  surface  of  the  track  ties  should  be  adzed 
off  level,  especially  when  there  is  a  groove  made  by 
the  rail.  This  is  necessary  to  give  the  rails  a  solid 
foundation,  preserve  the  correct  surface,  and  prevent 
the  shims  from  breaking.  Shims  should  never  be 
placed  lengthways  under  the  rails,  because  in  that  po- 
sition they  increase  the  height  of  the  rail  without 
widening  the  base.  Section  men  cannot  always  see 
them,  and  they  are  liable  to  slip  out  of  place,  and  by 
so  doing  weaken  the  support,  and  may  cause  a  broken 
rail. 

Where  the  shims  used  are  over  one  inch  in  thick- 
ness, spikes  seven  or  eight  inches  long  should  be  used 
to  secure  the  rails,  and  where  thicker  shims  are  used, 
old  rail  splices  should  be  spiked  on  the  ends  of  the 
ties  and  against  the  outside  of.  the  rails  for  braces. 
These  braces  should  be  spiked  on  every  second,  third 
or  fourth  tie,  in  proportion  to  the  height  of  the  shims. 

To  shim  two  or  three  inches  high,  plank  of  the 
proper  thickness,  sixteen  feet  long,  should  be  cut  in 
halves  and  spiked  to  the  ties  with  boat  spikes.  For 
four  inch  shims  put  a  one  inch  shim  on  top  of  a  three 
inch  plank,  and  for  five  inches  use  a  bridge  tie  on  top 
of  the  track  ties. 

All  high  shimmed  tracks  should  be  watched  closely, 
and  thinner  shims  should  be  used  to  replace  the 
thick  ones  as  fast  as  the  heaved  track  settles  in  the 
spring.  Shims  should  not  be  removed  from  the  track 


122  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

until  all  heaving  has  gone  down,  except  where  they 
are  put  under  the  rails  to  level  up  low  joints  or  other 
spots  which  were  left  over  in  the  fall  of  the  year. 
When  the  rail  which  has  shims  under  it  is  higher 
than  the  track  either  way  from  it  by  the  thickness  of 
the  shims,  you  may  remove  them  as  the  heaving  has 
all  gone  out  of  the  ground.  Many  Foremen  have 
spoiled  a  nice  piece  of  track  by  removing  the  shims 
and  tamping  the  ties  as  soon  as  the  frost  was  out  to 
the  bottom  of  the  ties.  All  good  shims,  shim  spikes 
and  braces,  should  be  put  away  in  the  tool  house 
every  spring,  and  saved  for  use  another  year.  And 
any  planks  which  were  used  for  shims  in  the  manner 
here  mentioned,  may  be  put  in  service  during  the 
summer  on  highways  or  private  wagon  crossings. 

HEAVED   BRIDGES   AND   CULVERTS. 

3.  Pile  bridges  and  pile  culverts  need  careful 
watching  in  the  winter  season,  and  whenever  the  Sec- 
tion Foreman  finds  them  heaved  up  out  of  surface  or 
line,  the  bridge  carpenters  should  be  promptly  noti- 
fied. In  some  bridges  and  culverts  the  piles  which 
heave  up  have  to  be  cut  off,  and  that  part  of  the  bridge 
or  the  culvert  must  be  lowered  to  correspond  with 
the  track  on  either  side  of  it.  Unlike  the  track  in 
cuts,  or  on  dumps,  some  piles  which  heave  up  in  the 
winter  do  not  settle  back  to  place  again  when  the 
frost  goes  out  of  the  ground,  and  shims  have  to  be 
put  under  the  caps  or  stringers,  to  keep  the  bridges 
up  to  surface  during  the  summer.  The  greatest  dan- 
ger is  to  be  apprehended  where  the  piles  in  a  bridge 
heave  up  irregularly,  as  when  only  one  or  two  piles 
heave  in  a  bent,  or  when  the  piles  heave  up  in 
opposite  corners  of  two  different  bents.  This 


WINTER    TRACK   WORK.  123 

often  happens  when  the  piles  are  driven  in  deep 
water,  as  the  ice  which  freezes  to  them  lifts  them  up 
and  should,  therefore,  always  be  cut  away  by  the  track- 
men before  there  is  danger  of  its  doing  so. 

REPORT   AMOUNT   OP   SNOW. 

4.  Section  Foremen  should  ascertain  the  condi- 
tion of  the  track  in  their  charge  immediately  after 
every  snow  storm  (or  wind  storm)  which  would  be 
liable  to  drift  snow  upon  the  track,  and  report  to  their 
Roadmaster  the  depth  and  length  of  snow  drifts  in  all 
the  cuts  on  their  sections.     It  is  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance that  snow  reports  be  sent  promptly  to  the 
Roadmaster  by  telegraph  in  order  that  the  officers  of 
the  road  may  be  able  to  make  necessary  preparations 
to  clear  the  track.    When  there  is  no  snow  in  the  cuts 
on  your  section,  report  your  section  clear  of  snow. 

SNOW   ON   SIDE   TRACKS. 

5.  Section  Foremen  should  clear  away  the  snow 
which  has  drifted  upon  side  tracks  as  soon  as  possible 
after  a  storm,  and  the  snow  on  switches  and  in  frogs 
and    guard   rails,  should  be  shoveled    off    and    the 
track  for  the  full  length  of  the  switch  lead  and  mov- 
ing rails  should  be  swept  clean.     This  work  should 
never  be  delayed  because  all  freight  trains  will  need 
to  do  switching  as  soon  as  the  road  is  open  for  traffic. 

SNOW   IN   CUTS. 

6.  During  the  winter  months  when  snow  falls  or  is 
drifted  into  cuts  to  a  depth  of  two  or  more  feet,  Sec- 
tion Foremen  should  take  their  men,  just  as  soon  as 
possible  after  the  storm,  and  remove  from  the  track 
sufficient  snow  at  the  ends  of  all  drifts,  to  leave  a 
clean  flange  and  a  clear  face  of  snow,  at  least  18  inches 


124  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

deep,  at  both  the  approach  and  run  out  end  of  the 
drift.  It  is  a  notorious  fact  that  a  great  many  engines, 
when  bucking  snow,  run  off  the  track  when  coming 
out  of,  or  running  into  a  snow  drift.  This  is  gener- 
ally caused  by  hard  snow  or  ice  in  the  flanges,  as  the 
engine,  on  being  suddenly  relieved  of  the  weight  of 
the  snow,  easily  mounts  the  rail  on  a  hard  flange  way, 
and  runs  off  the  track. 

FLANGING    TRACK. 

7.  Whenever  the  track  becomes  full  of  snow  in  the 
winter,   and   needs   flanging   out.    Section   Foremen 
should  take  their  men  and  flange  out  the  track  at  the 
tops  of  the  heaviest  grades  first,  and  next,  at  all  places 
on  their  sections  where  it  is  most  difficult  for  an  en- 
gine to  pull  a  train.     Always  leave  till  the  last  those 
parts  of  your  section  which  needs  flanging  least,  such 
as  high  dumps,  level  track  or  sags  between  grades. 

OPENING    DITCHES   AND    CULVERTS. 

8.  On  roads  where  snow  lies  on  the  ground  during 
the  winter  months,  Section  Foremen  should  open  up 
all  ditches,  culverts,  and  other  waterways  which  pass 
along  or  under  the  track.     Culverts,  which  are  apt  to 
be   covered  with  snow  in  the  winter,  can   easily  be 
located  when  the  thaw  comes,  if  a  long  stake  is  driven 
close  to  the  mouth  of  each  culvert  early  in  the  fall  of 
the  year  before  any  snow  falls  on  the  ground. 

In  cuts  that  are  full  of  snow  on  each  side  of  the 
track  leaving  only  room  enough  for  trains  to  pass 
through,  Foremen  should  make  a  ditch  in  the  snow 
when  it  begins  to  melt  in  the  spring,  about  six  feet 
from  the  rail  on  each  side  of  the  track  so  that  when 
the  water  begins  to  run  it  will  not  injure  the  track 
by  running  over  it. 


WINTER   TRACK   WORK.  125 

SNOW   WALLS. 

9.  If  you  have    any  snow  fences    for    protection 
along  the  cuts  on  your  section,  watch  them  closely  and 
whenever   you  find  a  fence  which  has  been  drifted 
full  of  snow  or  nearly  so,  buikl  with  blocks  of  snow, 
taken  from  the  inside  face  of  the  drift,  a  wall  four 
feet  high   along  on   the   top   of   the    highest    part 
of  the  drift.     As  long  as  the  weather  remains  cool 
a  wall  built  of  blocks  of  snow  will  give  as  good  pro- 
tection to  a  cut  as   the   same    amount    of   ordinary 
snow  fence  would.     Make  snow  walls  strong  and  thick 
and  increase  their  height  on  the  worst  cuts  in  propor- 
tion to  the  force  of  men  that  can  be  spared  to  do  the 
work,  and  use  double  lines  of  snow  wall  fifty  feet 
apart  when  they  will  be  beneficial. 

SNOW   FENCES. 

10.  On   the   majority  of    northern   railroads   the 
amount  of  snow  which  falls  upon  the  ground  during 
the  winter  months  is  not  so  great  as  to  require  the 
building  of  snow  sheds',  but  to  protect  the  cuts  along 
the  track  from  filling  with  snow,  fences  are  built  along 
the  tops  of  the  cuts  at  a  sufficient  distance  from  the 
track  to  catch  the  snow  when  it  is  drifted,  and  pre- 
vents it  from  being   blown  into  the  cuts  and  block- 
ing the  track.     The  efficiency  of  a  snow  fence  as  a 
protection  against  snow  depends  on  its  strength,  du- 
rability, height,  how  far  it  is  from  the  track  and  the 
manner  in  which  it  is  arranged  along  the  top  of  the 
cuts. 

The  writer  has  had  some  experience  with  snow  and 
snow  fences,  and  will  here  offer  a  few  suggestions 
which  may  be  useful  to  those  interested. 


126  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

A  snow  fence,  no  matter  how  well  made,  or  of  what 
material,  will  rot  and  become  useless  in  eight  or  ten 
years,  at  the  latest.  The  yearly  cost  of  repairing  snow 
fences,  the  first  cost,  and  the  interest  of  the  money 
invested,  should  all  be  considered  before  putting  up  a 
snow  fence  on  any  railroad  cut.  And  where  the  work 
of  grading  down  a  cut  on  each  side  of  the  track,  so 
that  it  will  not  hold  snow,  can  be  done  for  an  amount 
of  money  equal  to  the  cost  of  the  items  above  re- 
ferred to,  the  grading  of  the  cut  should  be  done  in 
preference  to  the  building  of  a  snow  fence.  In  many 
sections  of  the  northwest,  a  cut  which  is  only  two  or 
three  feet  higher  than  the  track  rails  can  be  graded 
from  the  right-of-way  limits  down  to  a  level  with  the 
bottom  of  the  track  ties,  and  the  dirt  wasted  on  the 
fills  near  at  hand  for  less  than  it  would  cost  to  main- 
tain a  snow  fence  on  the  same  cut. 

Even  when  the  cost  of  putting  a  cut  into  such  a 
condition  that  it  will  not  hold  snow,  is  somewhat 
greater  than  that  of  maintaining  a  good  snow  fence, 
the  difference  is  in  favor  of  the  grading  on  account  of 
the  benefit  the  track  derives  from  it.  Snow  fences 
are  not  needed  at  deep  cuts,  which  from  their  top 
slope  back  into  a  valley  within  a  short  distance  from 
the  side  of  the  track;  nor  are  snow  fences  much  good 
as  a  protection  where  the  ground  slopes  with  an  in- 
cline off  from  the  track  unless  the  fence  is  close 
enough  to  carry  the  wind  above  the  cut,  or  catch  the 
snow  before  reaching  the  cut.  Snow  fence  is  not 
needed  on  cuts  where  heavy  timber  or  underbrush 
grows  close  along  each  side  of  the  track,  the  only 
snow  in  such  cuts  being  that  which  falls  directly 
upon  the  track  and  cannot  be  prevented.  But  where 


WINTER   TRACK   WORK.  127 

the  ground  is  level  for  some  distance  from  the  track, 
or  on  a  gently  rolling  prairie,  cuts  are  liable  to  fill 
up  with  snow  if  not  properly  fenced.  Snow  fences 
should  be  set  up  at  such  a  distance  from  the  track 
that  the  edge  of  the  snow  drift  inside  of  them  will 
not  reach  within  thirty  feet  of  the  track  when  the 
fence  is  drifted  full.  Set  the  fence  about  eleven 
or  twelve  feet  from  the  track  for  each  foot  in 
height  of  fence.  The  height  of  snow  fence  should 
regulate  its  distance  from  the  track.  If  a  snow 
fence  is  set  too  far  from  the  track  for  its  height, 
the  wind,  after  passing  over  the  top  of  the  fence, 
soon  strikes  the  ground  on  the  inside  of  the  fence 
and  gathers  all  the  snow  before  it  into  the  cut,  and 
part  of  the  snow  which  blows  over  the  fence  is  also 
carried  upon  the  track. 

A  snow  fence  is  seldom  set  up  on  each  side  of 
the  track  unless  the  road  is  so  situated  as  to  be  ex- 
posed to  storms  from  both  directions. 

Storms  from  the  northwest,  north,  and  northeast 
are  the  most  paevalent  throughout  the  northwest, 
and  as  a  general  rule  the  north  sides  of  railroads 
running  east  and  west  and  the  west  sides  of  roads 
running  north  and  south  need  the  most  protection 
from  snow  and  need  the  most  snow  fence.  Where 
two  snow  fences  are  put  up  on  one  side  of  the  track, 
they  should  run  parallel  with  each  other,  and  there 
should  be  a  space  of  at  least  100  feet  between  them. 
Unless  a  very  large  quantity  of  snow  is  drifted  the 
outside  fence  will  hold  it  all. 

Very  good  results  have  been  attained  by  setting 
out  the  snow  fence  next  to  the  track  in  the  follow- 
ing manner.  If  the  snow  fence  is  of  ordinary  height, 


128  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

set  it  up  seventy-five  feet  from  the  nearest  track 
rail.  Enough  of  the  snow  fence  should  run  parallel 
with  the  track  to  reach  the  full  length  of  the  cut, 
no  more.  After  this  part  of  the  fence  is  up,  turn 
a  wing  on  each  end  of  it,  approaching  the  track 
gradually  until  the  extreme  end  of  each  wing  ex- 
tends 100  feet  beyond  the  end  of  the  cut,  at  a  dis- 
tance of  about  fifty  or  sixty  feet  from  the  track 
rail. 

When  a  cut  ends  abruptly  on  the  beginning  of 
a  high  fill,  the  wing  on  that  end  of  the  snow  fence 
should  be  turned  in  towards  the  track  before  the  end 
of  the  cut  is  reached,  or  at  least  soon  enough  to  pro- 
tect the  cut  from  a  quartering  storm.  A  snow  fence 
built  parallel  with  the  track  and  without  a  wing  on 
the  end  of  it,  is  of  very  little  use  when  a  storm  blows 
nearly  along  the  track,  as  much  of  the  snow  on  the 
inside  of  the  fence  is  apt  to  be  blown  into  the  cut. 
New  ties  which  are  received  for  repair  of  track  the 
following  spring,  can  be  distributed  and  used  advan- 
tageously to  make  a  temporary  snow  fence  on  cuts 
where  needed.  The  ties  may  be  laid  along  in  line 
with  their  ends  lapping  each  other,  about  one  foot 
slats  or  pieces  of  board  can  then  be  put  across  the 
ends  of  the  ties  where  they  lap  and  a  new  line  of  ties 
laid  along  on  top  of  them  until  the  snow  fence  is  of 
the  proper  height. 

*** 
"BUCKING"  SNOW. 

1.  Clearing  the  track  of  snow  in  the  winter  really 
belongs  to  the  Koadm  aster's  department,  but  as  this 
book  is  intended  to  instruct  young  men  who  may  fill 
that  position  at  some  time  in  the  future,  I  cannot  re- 


WINTEB  TRACK  WORK.  129 

f rain  from  writing  upon  a  subject  which  is  of  so  much 
importance  to  railroad  companies  who  are  troubled 
with  snow  on  their  roads  to  a  greater  or  less  extent 
every  winter. 

No  man  is  so  well  qualified  to  buck  snow  as  he  who 
has  had  some  experience  at  it,  and  no  man  should  be 
trusted  with  full  charge  of  a  snow  plow  outfit  unless 
it  be  known  that  he  understands  the  best  methods  to 
be  employed  in  opening  up  the  road  for  traffic  after  a 
blockade.  The  man  in  charge  of  a  snow  plow  outfit 
should  be  informed  of  the  exact  condition  of  the  road 
the  depth  of  snow,  the  length  of  drifts,  and  the  loca- 
tion of  the  same,  as  nearly  as  possible,  before  starting 
on  the  road.  He  should  have  good,  live  engines,  and 
willing  engineers.  The  plow  itself  should,  like  the 
engine  and  engineer,  be  the  best  that  can  be  procured 
and  of  a  pattern  that  could  throw  snow  out  of  a  cut 
eight  or  ten  feet  deep.  Small  plows,  fenders,  or  other 
make-shifts  which  are  only  good  to  clean  the  rails  of 
light  snow,  or  gouge  a  hole  through  a  big  cut,  should 
be  left  at  home,  and  not  taken  out  to  buck  snow. 
When  there  is  a  large  quantity  of  it  to  be  moved,  the 
extra  time  and  labor  expended  in  shoveling  and  pull- 
ing such  craft  out  of  the  snow  would  purchase  a  good 
plow  in  one  trip  over  the  road.  Another  engine  and 
car,  with  a  conductor,  train  crew  and  shoveling  gang, 
should  follow  close  behind  the  snow  plow  during  the 
day  time,  and  should  be  coupled  in  behind  the  plow 
when  running  after  dark.  The  second  engine  should 
be  used  as  a  helper  in  striking  deep  snow,  and  to  pull 
out  the  plow  engine  whenever  it  is  stuck  fast  in  a . 
snow  drift.  All  cars  attached  to  the  helper  engine 
should  be  left  behind  on  the  clear  track  when  both 


130  THE  TEAOKMAN'S  HELPEK. 

engines  run  together  to  buck  a  drift  of  snow.  The 
pilot  should  be  removed  from  the  engine  which  is 
used  for  a  helper,  so  that  a  close  coupling  can  be  made 
when  both  engines  are  used  together.  The  less  slack 
there  is  between  two  engines  coupled  together  the  less 
liability  is  there  of  the  hind  engine  pushing  the  front 
engine  off  the  track.  This  is  most  liable  to  happen 
on  a  curve  track,  or  where  hard  snow  is  encountered. 
Never  allow  two  engines  to  buck  snow  with  a  long  car 
coupling  between  them,  or  with  a  caboose  or  other 
car  between  the  engines,  as  either  arrangement  en- 
dangers the  lives  of  the  men  on  the  train  and  often 
results  in  a  wreck.  There  is  no  necessity  for  using 
two  engines  behind  the  snow  plow  to  buck  snow 
which  one  engine  can  as  well  throw  out.  If  the  snow 
is  not  too  hard,  one  good  heavy  engine  and  plow  will 
clear  the  track  of  a  snow  drift  three  to  five  feet  deep, 
and  from  five  to  eight  hundred  feet  in  length,  at  one 
run.* 

TWO    LOCOMOTIVES. 

2.  Two  good  locomotives  coupled  together  behind 
the  plow,  if  managed  properly,  will  remove  any  snow 
which  it  is  advisable  to  buck.  Snow  drifts  which  are 
higher  than  the  plow  cannot  be  cleared  from  the  track 
successfully  without  first  shoveling  the  snow  off  the 
the  top  of  the  drift,  except  when  the  drift  is  very 
short,  Where  the  top  of  the  snow  drift  is  shoveled 
off,  it  should  be  opened  wide  enough  to  allow  the 
plow  to  throw  out  of  the  cut  the  snow  left  in  it.  On 
roads  where  a  flanger  is  used  and  made  to  pull  be- 


*  On  account  of  the  invention  of  the  rotary  snow  plow  it  is  not  likely  that 
snow  plowing  with  a  plow  on  the  front  of  a  locomotive  will  be  done  to  any 
great  extent  in  the  future,  especially  when  cuts  are  deep  and  long,  and  snow 
is  hard.  But  when  the  snow  is  soft,  and  not  too  deep  on  the  track,  the  old 
way  of  getting  rid  of  it  is  still  apt  lo  be  practiced. 


WINTER  TRACK  WORK.  131 

hind  an  engine  on  a  train,  it  should  be  sent  with  the 
snow  plow  helper,  and  used  to  clean  out  the  snow  left 
between  the  track  rails  by  the  snow  plow.  When  the 
snow  is  reported  hard  those  in  charge  of  snow  plow 
outfits  should  be  very  careful  to  have  their  engines 
arid  plow  in  as  perfect  condition  as  possible.  They 
should  run  no  risk;  every  snow  drift  should  be  exam- 
ined before  running  into  it,  and  each  end  should  be 
shoveled  out  enough  to  leave  a  clean  flangeway  and  a 
face  that  would  let  the  plow  enter  under  the  snow  and 
kept  it  down  upon  the  rails.  The  tendency  of  hard 
snow  is  to  lift  the  plow  up  over  the  top  of  the  drift 
and  throw  the  engine  off  the  track.  Whenever  the 
ends  of  the  drifts  are  not  faced  as  before  mentioned, 
there  is  always  great  danger  when  entering  or  leav- 
ing short,  shallow  drifts  of  hard  snow,  while  on  the 
contrary,  there  is  little  or  no  danger  in  plowing  soft, 
deep  snow  at  the  greatest  speed  the  engine  can  make. 
The  engines  with  a  snow  plow  outfit  should  always 
take  on  water  and  fuel  to  their  full  capacity  at  every 
point  on  the  road  where  a  supply  can  be  obtained,  no 
matter  whether  it  is  liable  to  be  used  or  not.  When 
it  is  at  all  probable  that  progress  will  be  slow  on  ac- 
count of  hard  or  deep  snow,  a  car  loaded  with  coal 
should  be  taken  along  by  the  helper  engine.  If  there 
is  plenty  of  snow  the  supply  of  water  can  easily  be 
made  in  the  engine  tanks  by  commencing  to  shovel 
snow  into  them  before  they  are  more  than  half  empty. 

A    PIECE   OF    STEAM    HOSE. 

3.  Every  snow  plow,  engine,  and  helper  engine 
should  be  supplied  with  a  piece  of  steam  hose  which 
can  be  attached  to  the  cyphon  cock  and  reach  from  it 
to  the  water  hole  in  the  back  of  the  tank.  With  this 


132  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

hose  an  engine  steaming  well  can  quickly  make  a  full 
tank  of  water  from  snow  shoveled  into  the  tank.  It 
is  also  useful  to  thaw  out  the  machinery  or  clean  the 
track  rails  of  ice. 

LENGTH   OF    RUNS. 

4.  In  plowing  snow  the  length  of  runs  and  the 
speed  of  the  engine  should  always  be  in  proportion  to 
the  depth  and  length  of  the  snow  drifts.  If  the  drifts 
are  deep  and  long,  and  likely  to  stick  the  plow,  a  good 
long  run  should  be  taken  on  the  clear  track,  so  that 
the  plow  engine  may  acquire  its  greatest  speed  before 
striking  the  drift.  A  good  engineer  who  has  had  some 
practice  in  bucking  snow,  will  so  handle  his  engine 
that  very  little  shoveling  by  the  men  will  be  needed. 

It  is  not  advisable  to  start  out  on  the  road  with  a 
snow  plow  outfit  during  a  heavy  storm,  but  everything 
should  be  ready  to  make  a  start  as  soon  as  the  storm 
is  over.  The  snow  plow  should  be  attached  to  the 
best  and  heaviest  engine  in  service  on  the  division 
where  it  is  used. 

The  man  in  charge  of  a  snow  plow  outfit  should 
use  his  best  judgment  and  have  his  wits  about  him 
at  all  times,  that  he  may  not  be  caught  on  the  road 
with  a  dead  engine,  or  be  wrecked  and  block  the  road 
for  other  trains.  It  is  much  better  for  the  company's 
interests,  and  those  of  all  others  concerned,  when  all 
accidents  are  avoided,  even  should  it  take  much  longer 
time  to  open  up  the  road. 

The  engineer  of  the  snow  plow  engine  should  sound 
the  whistle  frequently  when  approaching  a  cut,  so  that 
section  men,  if  working  there,  would  be  warned  in 
time  to  get  out  of  the  cut.  When  the  snow  plow  is 
making  repeated  runs  for  a  big  snow  drift,  the  signal 


WINTER  TRACK  WORK.  133 

to  come  ahead  should  never  be  given  until  all  the 
snow  shovelers  have  left  the  cut.  It  is  very  difficult 
for  men  to  climb  out  of  a  cut  where  the  snow  is  deep, 
and  many  accidents  have  occurred  where  approaching 
trains  have  failed  to  warn  the  men  in  time,  or  where 
the  men  have  neglected  to  look  out  for  the  danger 
until  it  was  too  late.  If  the  men  with  the  snow  plow 
are  always  on  the  alert,  and  careful  and  conscientious 
in  the  discharge  of  their  duties,  the  safety  of  all  con- 
cerned will  be  assured  and  the  work  will  progress 
rapidly. 

PREPARING    DRIFTS. 

5.  When  a  snow  drift  is  so  long  and  deep  that  it 
may  stick  the  snow  plow  twice,  the  better  policy  is  to 
shovel  out  snow  enough  from  the  approach  end  of  the 
drift  to  enable  the  snow  plow  to  go  through  in  the 
second  run.  In  this  way  the  labor  of  digging  out  the 
engine  a  second  time  may  be  avoided. 

All  very  hard  snow  should  be  broken  up  by  the 
men  and  the  crust  thrown  out  before  striking  it  with 
a  snow  plow.  The  shock  felt  when  a  snow  plow  strikes 
a  hard  drift  is  sometimes  very  great,  and  often  dam- 
ages the  machinery,  or  knocks  the  plow  from  the 
track.  The  force  of  the  concussion  may  be  materially 
lessened  by  having  the  men  clean  a  good  flange  way, 
and  then  shovel  out  of  the  face  and  top  of  the  drift 
enough  snow  to  make  a  gradual  incline  of  about  one 
foot  to  the  rod.  Besides  reducing  the  force  of  the  shock 
the  above  method  of  preparing  a  hard  snow  drift  en- 
ables the  snow  plow  to  open  a  much  greater  distance 


FROGS  AND  SWITCHES. 
CHAPTER  VI. 

1,  Turnouts— 2,  Split  or  Point  Switches— 3,  Laying  Switches— 1,  To  Change 
a  Stub  to  a  Split  Switch— 5,  Description  of  Table  1,  for  "Stub 
Leads"— 6,  Description  of  Table  2,  for  "Point  Leads"— 7,  Frogs 
— 8,  Laying  Frogs  in  Track— 9,  Length  of  Frogs— 10,  Guard  Rails— 
11,  If  there  Is  no  Standard— 12,  Switch  Timbers— 13,  To  Cut  Switch 
Ties  the  Proper  Length— 14,  Tamping  Switch  Ties— 15,  Putting  in 
Three  Throw  Switches— 16,  Derailing  Switches— 17,  Turnouts  from 
Curves — 18,  To  Reach  a  Side  Track  wilh  a  Reverse  Curve  Behind 
the  Frog — 19,  Round  House  Tracks — 20,  Another  Method — 21,  Cross-over 
Tracks — 22,  Table  of  Distances  Between  Frog  Points  in  Cross-over 
Tracks— 23,  Parallel  Tracks— 24,  How  to  Ascertain  the  Kind  of  Vrog 
Needed— 25,  Spur  Tracks. 

TURNOUTS. 

1.  A  turnout  is  a  curved  track,  by  which  a  car  may 
pass  from  one  track  to  another,  and  consists  of  a  frog, 
a  rail  leading  to  the  frog,  a  corresponding  opposite 
rail,  and  a  device  connecting  these  rails  with  the  main 
track,  called  the  "switch."  If  a  switch  is  made  to 
serve  two  turnouts,  it  is  called  a  "three-throw  switch;'1 
a  "trailing"  switch,  is  one  where  a  train  on  the  main 
track  passes  from  frog  to  switch;  while  a  "facing" 
switch  is  one  that  approaches  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion. 

The  common  or  "stub"  switch,  consists  of  a  pair  of 
connected  rails,  A  C,  andB  D,  Fig.  16,  so  arranged  that 
while  one  end  is  fixed,  the  other  can  be  moved  so  as 
to  be  a  part  of  either  the  main  track,  or  turnout.  The 


FROGS  AND  SWITCHES. 


135 


136  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

fixed  end  is  called  the  "heel,"  and  is  the  beginning 
of  the  turnout  curve.  The  other  end  is  called  the 
"toe,"  and  the  distance  it  moves  in  passing  from 
main  track  to  the  turnout  rails,  is  called  the  "throw." 
The  toe  rests  on  a  large  piece  of  timber,  called  the 
"head  block,"  on  which  are  placed  the  "head  chairs," 
and  "switch  stand."  The  portion  of  the  turnout  be- 
tween the  head  block  and  frog  point  is  called  the 
"lead."  The  "total  lead,"  includes  the  switch  and 
lead  rails.  The  turnout  curve  is  from  A  to  F,  and 
should  be  a  simple  curve  considered  as  joining  the 
two  long  ends;  one  of  them,  I  F,  is  the  turnout  line  of 
the  frog  produced,  until  it  intersects  the  opposite 
rail;  the  other  I  A,  is  the  opposite  rail.  As  two  tan- 
gents to  a  curve  from  any  point  are  equal,  I  F,  and  I 
A  are  equal.  The  length  of  lead  depends  on  the 
gage  and  frog  number,  and  is  equal  to  the  gage 
multiplied  by  twice  the  frog  number.  The  switch 
rails  are  spiked  for  a  certain  part  of  their  length,  then 
when  they  are  thrown,  the  free  end  will  bend  to  an 
arc  of  a  circle,  and  fit  the  line  of  lead.  K  L  and  K' 
L'  are  guard  rails,  M  O  is  the  middle  ordinate  of  the 
chord  C  F,  and  Q  O  and  Q'  O'  quarter  ordinates. 

The  stub  switch  has  two  serious  defects,  one  of 
which  is  want  of  safety.  Statistics  show  that  50  per 
cent,  of  derailments  are  caused  by  defects  and  mis- 
placements of  stub  switches.  The  second  objection  is 
the  necessary  space  at  the  end  of  the  moving  rail, 
which  jars  the  rolling  stock,  batters  the  switch  rails, 
and  causes  some  discomfort  to  passengers. 
"SPLIT"  OR  "POINT"  SWITCHES. 

2.     In  order  to  have  an  unbroken  bearing  for  car 
wheels  on  the  track  rails,  the  "  split,"  or  point  switch 


FROGS   AND    SWITCHES. 


137 


138  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

was  devised.  Figs.  17  and  18  show  these  switches  in 
their  simplest  form.  Fig.  17  shows  the  switch  set  for 
side  track.  Fig.  18  shows  it  set  for  main  track.  The 
rails,  A  B  and  G  D,  called  "stock  rails,"  are  continu- 
ous and  spiked  their  full  length,  the  point  rails,  E  and 
F,  are  usually  fastened  at  their  heels,  H  H,  by  fish- 
plates to  the  lead  rails.  The  heels  in  the  split  switch, 
are  in  the  places  occupied  by  the  toes  in  the  stub 
switch,  or  at  head  block.  The  split  rails  are  gener- 
ally fifteen  feet  long  for  all  turnouts;  it  gives  the 
best  results,  combining  strength,  ease  of  handling, 
and  economy  of  manufacture  (a  thirty  foot  rail  makes 
two).  As  a  rule,  they  are  straight,  and  planed  so  that 
they  bear  against  the  rail  six  or  seven  feet.  The 
throw  of  the  point  is  about  4^  or  5  inches,  and  the 
clear  space  at  the  heel  between  gage  lines  is  about  the 
same  distance. 

By  introducing  a  spring  or  other  device  in  the 
switch  stand,  a  split  switch  is  sometimes  made  a 
safety  switch,  so  that  when  they  are  set  against  a  train 
trailing  them,  the  wheels  will  push  the  points  aside 
and  leave  an  unbroken  rail  for  the  wheel. 

The  first  cost  of  a  point  switch  is  more  than  a  stub 
switch,  but  the  split  switch  is  more  economical  to 
maintain  and  safer,  making  it  the  cheaper  in  the  end. 
There  can  be  no  question  that  it  is  superior  to  the 
stub  switch,  and  is  fast  superseding  it  all  over  in  the 
United  States.* 

LAYING   SWITCHES. 

3.    In  laying  switches,  whenever  possible,  locate  the 

*  There  is  no  necessity  for  using  short  guard  rails  just  ahead  of  the  points 
in  a  split  switch.  There  are  no  elements  of  safety  existing  in  the  guard 
rail,  when  the  throw  of  switch  is  more  than  four  inches,  and  when  guard 
rails  are  used  as  a  protection  against  wear  on  the  points.  The  saving  ef- 
fected will  rarely  compensate  for  the  use  of  so  much  extra  material. 


FROGS   AND    SWITCHES.  139 

frog  with  a  view  to  cutting  the  least  number  of  rails. 
A  deviation  of  5  per  cent,  from  the  theoretical  lengths 
in  the  table  makes  but  little  appreciable  difference. 
After  you  have  determined  where  the  frog  point  will 
come,  mark  the  place  on  the  track  rail,  take  from  the 
turnout  table  the  distance  from  the  head  block  to 
point  of  frog  corresponding  to  the  number  of  the  frog 
which  is  used,  add  to  this  the  distance  from  the  theo- 
retical to  the  blunt  point  of  frog.  The  head  block 
can  now  be  located  by  measuring  the  total  distance 
obtained  fipm  the  frog  point. 

Make  marks  with  chalk  along  the  flanges  of  the  rail 
between  the  head  block  and  frog,  so  that  the  switch 
ties  can  all  be  placed  the  proper  distance  apart  from 
center  to  center.  After  the  switch  ties  have  all  been 
cut  the  proper  lengths,  lay  them  out  alongside  the 
track,  and  see  that  each  tie  is  numbered,  and  in  its 
proper  place  as  it  will  lay  in  the  track.  Then  take  out 
the  cross  ties  and  pull  in  each  tie  in  regular  order. 

When  pulling  the  ends  of  the  ties  to  line,  time  can 
be  saved  by  using  a  gage,  made  by  nailing  a  cleat  across 
a  piece  of  board,  allowing  eighteen  or  twenty  inches 
to  project  beyond  the  cleat.  Have  this  gage  square 
at  each  end,  lay  it  with  the  cleat  against  the  end  of 
each  tie  and  draw  a  chalk  line  across  the  tie  at  the 
end  of  the  board,  marking  all  the  ties  the  same  length 
from  the  end.  This  chalk  line  should  be  at  the  out- 
side flange  of  the  rail  and  have  the  spikes  driven  in  it 
on  the  line  side.  When  the  ties  are  all  in  place  under 
the  track,  the  ends  of  all  the  ties  will  line  uniformly. 
This  is  a  much  better  way  than  measuring  the  end  of 
each  tie,  with  a  stick  or  the  maul  handle.  The 
switch  ties  should  be  put  in  from  either  end, 


140  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

just  as  you  have  the  time  to  spare  between  trains. 
If  trains  are  running  close  together  begin  at  head 
block  and  select  the  time  longest  between  trains 
to  put  in  frog  and  lead.  At  least  two  long  switch 
ties  should  be  put  in  behind  the  frog  to  obviate  the 
necessity  of  adzing  and  crowding  short  ties  past  each 
other  where  the  two  tracks  separate. 

Before  taking  up  a  rail  in  main  track,  cut  a  rail  of 
a  length  that,  with  the  frog,  will  replace  the  rail  taken 
up,  and  give  the  necessary  opening  at  the  head  chair 
joint,  if  a  stub  switch.  Use  two  full  length  30-foot 
rails  for  the  sliding  rails  so  that  enough  of  the  ends 
can  be  spiked  safely  beyond  the  cross  rods.  Have  the 
cross  rods  an  equal  distance  apart,  and  use  five  of 
them  instead  of  four,  if  you  can  get  them.  Then 
put  the  head  chairs  in  position  under  the  ends  of  slide 
and  lead  rails.  The  rails  should  be  properly  curved 
or  the  switch  can  never  be  kept  in  a  good  line.  As 
soon  as  the  rails  are  connected  between  frog  and  head 
chair  the  main  track  should  be  spiked  full,  and  put  to 
a  perfect  level  surface  and  line  before  the  turnout 
curve  is  permanently  spiked.  An  experienced  track- 
man, with  good  eyesight,  can  line  the  lead  curve,  but 
it  is  better  to  lay  it  to  ordinates  first. 

Stretch  a  cord  from  point  of  frog  to  the  toe  of 
switch,  see  Fig.  16,  and  mark  its  center  and  quarter 
points.  In  all  stub  switches,  spike  the  center  to  an 
ordinate  of  seven  inches;  and  each  of  the  quarters  to 
an  ordinate  of  5^  inches  and  this  forms  the  true  line 
of  the  turnout  curve. 

As  soon  as  the  rods  are  put  on  the  slide  rails  and 
main  track  is  in  line,  the  switch  stand  should  be 
bolted  to  the  head  block  and  connected  to  the  rails. 


FROGS   AND    SWITCHES.  141 

The  switch  stand  should  always  be  placed  so  as  to  be 
seen  from  the  engineer's  side  of  the  engine,  facing  the 
switch,  when  possible.  The  gage  rail  of  the  siding 
should  be  spiked  to  an  accurate  gage  to  the  point 
of  the  frog,  the  same  as  on  the  main  track.  But 
the  curve  beyond  this  may  be  allowed  to  vary  a 
little  from  true  gage  to  prevent  a  kink  showing  oppo- 
site the  frog,  as  would  be  the  case  if  the  whole  turn- 
out was  spiked  to  accurate  gage.  Should  it  be  neces- 
sary to  widen  gage  at  the  frog,  the  guard  rail  distance 
should  be  increased  as  much  as  the  gage  is  widened. 
For  a  4  ft.  8^  in.  always  place  the  side  of  the  guard 
rail  that  comes  in  contact  with  the  passing  wheel,  a 
distance  of  4  ft.  6|  in.  from  the  gage  line  of  the  frog. 
This  gives  the  guard  rail  distance  1^  in.  when  gage  is 
exact.  If  gage  is  widened  -|  in.  the  guard  rail  distance 
should  also  be  widened.  Next  lay  down  the  guard 
rails  opposite  the  frog  on  each  side,  secure  them  to 
place  and  the  switch  is  ready  to  use. 

If  it  is  a  point  instead  of  a  stub  switch,  the  method 
of  procedure  is  nearly  the  same.  As  the  split  rails 
are  laid  tangent  to  the  curve,  the  degree  of  curve  and 
oridinates  of  the  lead  will  be  slightly  increased,  and 
should  be  taken  from  table  2,  if  you  are  not  fur- 
nished with  plans  from  the  Road  Department.  Bend 
the  stock  rail  about  the  proportion  of  1  in  40  with  a 
rail  bender.  If  the  switch  is  made  \"  extra  gage  at 
points,  place  the  angle  about  10  inches  back  of  them; 
if  made  ^"  extra  gage,  place  about  20"  back.  When 
laying  a  point  switch  in  connection  with  a  No.  9  frog, 
it  is  not  necessary  to  cut  any  rail,  but  "heel"  the  frog 
at  a  joint  and  use  two  30  ft.  rails  between  the  frog 
and  switch. 


142        THE  TKACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

TO   CHANGE   A   STUB   TO   A   SPLIT   SWITCH. 

4.  The  attachments  necessary  to  make  the  change 
from  a  stub  to  a  split  switch,  are  as  follows:  Two 
rails,  generally  15  feet  in  length,  with  a  part  of  the 
top  and  side  of  the  ball  of  the  rail  at  one  end  planed 
off  to  a  point,  hence  the  name  point  or  split  rails. 

There  are  four  cross  rods  which  are  used  to  con- 
nect the  two  split  rails,  and  are  bolted  to  them 
either  at  the  flange  or  through  the  web  of  the  rails. 
These  rods  are  generally  numbered  from  the  head 
rod  back;  the  head  rod,  number  one,  besides  con- 
necting the  split  rails,  are  also  arranged  to  be  con- 
nected to  the  switch  stand  and  moves  the  switch. 
The  other  rods  must  then  be  placed  in  the  order 
indicated  by  their  number. 

There  are  also  wrought  iron  plates  furnished,  which 
are  placed  along  on  the  top  of  the  switch  timbers 
under  the  split  rails  to  enable  them  to  slide  over  the 
flange  of  the  main  rails  and  lay  up  close  against  it. 
When  the  switch  is  thrown  to  either  side,  four  of 
these  wrought  iron  plates  have  an  offset  in  them.  The 
thick  part  is  placed  under  the  split  rail  and  the  thin 
end  reaches  out  under  the  main  rails.  Two  of  these 
plates  are  placed  on  each  side  of  the  track,  and  one 
on  each  side  of  the  head  rod.  The  other  plates  are 
spiked  down  on  the  timbers  further  back  from  the 
point  with  their  end  under  the  split  rails  and  close  up 
against  the  inner  flange  of  the  main  rails. 

When  the  throw  of  the  split  switch  is  the  same  as 
the  stub  switch,  the  same  switch  stand  will  do  for  either. 
But  if  the  split  switch  is  to  have  a  different  throw,  to 
comply  with  a  standard,  the  switch  stand  must  be 
adjusted  to  throw  the  switch  a  proper  distance.  The 


PROGS   AND   SWITCHES.  143 

difference  of  half  an  inch  in  the  throw  of  a  switch 
stand,  or  the  length  of  the  cross  rods  will  make  an 
inch  difference  in  the  gage  of  track  at  the  points. 

When  ready  to  begin  the  work  of  changing  the 
switch,  lay  down  the  two  split  rails  upon  a  couple  of 
pieces  of  timber,  close  to  the  track,  in  the  same  posi- 
tion they  would  occupy  in  track,  and  let  one  of  your 
men  bolt  the  cross  rods  to  the  split  rails  securely; 
measure  with  tape  line  fourteen  and  one-half  feet 
from  the  head  chair  joint  of  the  stub  switch  along  the 
moving  rails  and  mark  this  as  the  place  where  the 
head  rod  of  the  split  switch  will  come;  a  couple  of 
ties  can  then  be  removed,  and  if  a  double  head  block 
is  required  it  can  be  put  in,  one  on  each  side  of 
where  the  head  rod  will  be,  with  a  space  of  about  four 
inches  between  them.  If  only  one  head  block  is  nec- 
essary, put  it  on  whichever  side  of  the  head  rod  that 
will  best  accommodate  the  switch  stand.  While  some 
of  the  men  are  doing  the  work  specified,  others  may 
be  removing  the  headchairs,  tie  rods  and  head  block 
and  other  connections  of  the  stub  switch. 

One  of  the  side  rails  of  the  stub  switch,  which  is  on 
the  side  track  side  of  the  main  track,  is  named  the 
stock  rail  in  a  split  switch.  This  rail  should  be  taken 
out  of  the  track  and  bent  at  a  point  a  short  distance 
ahead  of  the  point  of  split  rail.  It  should  then  be 
put  back  in  the  track  and  bolted  to  the  main  rail  at 
one  end,  and  to  the  outside  rail  of  the  side  track  at 
the  other  end.  This  rail  should  be  bent  carefully,  so 
that  it  will  be  perfectly  straight  from  the  point  of 
split  rail,  back  to  a  point  square  with  the  heel  of  the 
split  rail.  The  opposite  joint  in  the  main  track,  should 
then  be  secured  with  bolts  and  fastenings.  Next, 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


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FROGS  AND   SWITCHES.  145 

lift  the  split  rails  and  lay  them  into  the  track,  con- 
necting their  heel  ends,  one  with  the  rail  leading  to 
the  frog,  the  other  with  the  main  rail  on  the  side  track 
side,  and  as  soon  as  you  have  spiked  the  tie  plates 
along  under  the  split  rails  and  made  connection 
with  the  head  rod  and  switch  stand,  the  switch  is 
complete. 

As  an  additional  precaution  against  track  spread- 
ing enough  to  prevent  the  points  laying  close  to  the 
main  rails,  a  rail  brace  may  be  spiked  down  outside 
the  main  rails,  just  ahead  of  the  switch  points.  The 
heel  of  a  split  switch  is  at  the  head  block  of  a  stub 
switch,  and  the  instructions  here  given,  are  based  on 
the  assumption  that  the  length  of  the  stub  switch 
lead  from  the  head  block  to  the  frog  point  is  correct, 
before  changing  the  switch. 

The  heel  of  the  split  switch,  should  be  square  with 
the  main  rail,  and  the  distance  between  gage  lines 
should  be  the  same  on  both  sides  of  the  track. 

DESCRIPTION  OF   TABLE   1,   FOR   "STUB   LEADS." 

5.  For  stub  leads,  table  1  gives  all  the  data  neces- 
sary to  lay  out  turnouts,  whether  single  or  double, 
from  straight  track  or  curves  and  for  any  frog  number. 
In  the  first  column  are  given  the  frog  numbers,  the 
angles  corresponding  to  them  in  the  second.  The 
third  column  gives  the  table  lead,  from  point  of  frog 
to  heel  of  switch.  In  the  fourth,  the  length  of  switch 
rail  for  a  5  inch  throw.  Columns  5,  6  and  7  show 
respectively,  tangent,  radii  and  degree  of  curva- 
ture. Column  8  gives  length  of  cord  C  F,  Fig.  16. 
Columns  9  and  10  gives  respectively  middle  and  quar- 
ter ordinates  when  turnout  is  laid  from  a  straight  track. 
Columns  11  and  12  are  used  in  obtaining  the  ordin- 


146 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


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PBOGS   AND  SWITCHES.  147 

ates  of  the  cord  C  F  when  the  turnout  is  laid  from  a 
curve.  It  gives  a  rate  of  change  in  them  per  degree 
of  curve  of  the  main  track  and  is  to  be  added  or  sub- 
tracted to  the  ordinates  of  a  turnout  from  a  straight 
track,  respectively,  as  the  turnout  is  laid  with  or 
against  the  main  track  curve.  Column  13  gives  the 
distance  from  headblock  to  middU  frog  point  in  three- 
throw  switches.  Columns  14  and  15  contains  the 
middle  frog  angles  and  their  corresponding  frog 
numbers. 

Table  2,  for  point  leads,  is  calculated  for  a  split  rail 
15  ft.  long,  laid  tangent  to  the  turnout  curve  at  its 
heel.  The  angle  in  the  stock  rail  is  1  deg.  and  35 
min.,  about  the  proportion  of  one  in  forty,  and  is 
placed  10"  back  of  the  points.  So  that  the  gage  will 
be  \  in.  wide  at  the  points.  The  ordinates  of  the 
outside  rail  are  not  constant  as  those  of  the  stub 
switch. 

In  these  tables  where  distances  are  given  to  frog 
points,  it  is  to  the  true  point,  and  the  difference  be- 
tween the  true  and  blunt  point  is  to  added  each  time 

DESCRIPTION  OF  TABLE   2,   FOB   "POINT   LEADS." 

6.  Turnout  table  2  is  calculated  for  a  point  rail  15 
feet  long,  laid  tangent  to  the  turnout  curves  at  its  heel. 
The  angle  in  the  stock  rail  is  1  degree  and  26  min- 
utes or  the  proportion  of  1  in  40.  It  will  be  noticed 
that  the  degree  of  curvature  is  slightly  increased,  and 
the  lead  shortened. 

In  these  tables  where  distances  are  given  to  frog 
points,  it  is  to  the  true  point,  and  the  difference  be- 
tween the  true  and  blunt  point  is  to  be  added  each 
time. 


148  THE  TRACRMAN^S  HELPER. 

FROGS. 

7.  A  frog  is  a  contrivance  for  allowing  the  wheels 
of  a  car  to  cross  a  rail. 

Fig.  19  is  an  outline  diagram  of  a  frog.  The  tri- 
angle, A  C  E,  is  tongue.  C  E  is  the  heel  of  the  ton- 
gue. The  channel  at  K  is  the  mouth.  Its  narrow 
part,  F  H,  is  the  throat.  The  wings,  F  G,  and  H  I, 
support  the  treads  of  the  wheels  from  the  point,  B, 
to  the  throat.  L  M  is  the  heel  of  the  frog.  The 
angle  is  the  divergence  of  the  lines,  A  C  and  A  E. 
The  intersections  of  the  lines  at  A  is  the  true  point 
of  the  frog.  As  this  point  is  too  weak  for  service,  it 
is  rounded  off  where  the  tongue  is  about  one-half 
inch  wide.  The  frog  number  is  the  ratio  of  the  base, 
C  E,  to  the  perpendicular,  A  D,  the  length  of  the 
point.  Thus,  if  the  length,  A  D,  be  7,  9  or  10  times 
C  E,  the  frog  is  called  a  No.  7,  9  or  10  frog. 

Crossing  frogs  are  used  where  one  track  crosses 
another.  They  are  generally  supported  by  long  ties 
for  the  smaller  angles,  and  heavy  tramed  timbers  for 
the  larger  angles.  The  nearer  the  angle  approaches 
90°,  the  more  difficult  they  are  to  maintain,  owing  to 
the  wheels  dropping  into  the  space  left  for  the  other 
road.  Where  one  road  is  double  tracked,  the  frogs 
are  difficult  to  keep  in  line,  owing  to  the  tracks  of  the 
double  line  often  creeping  in  opposite  directions. 

LAYING  FROGS  IN  TRACK. 

8.  When  putting  frogs  into  a  track  care  should  be 
taken  to  have  them  in  a  true  line  and  level  with  the 
track  rails  which  are  connected  to  them.     The  gage 
rail,  opposite  the  frog,  should  be  put  to  a  perfect  gage 
for  the  full  length  of  the  frog.     In  sharp  turnouts, 


FEOG8   AND   SWITCHES. 


149 


150  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

when  all  of  the  track  at  the  frog  and  running  each 
way  from  it  is  put  to  a  perfect  gage,  there  is  left 
opposite  the  frog  an  ugly  looking  kink.  This  is 
caused  by  the  rail  of  the  frog  being  necessarily 
"straight.  It  does  not  correspond  with  the  curve  line 
which  runs  each  way  from  the  frog.  This  can  be 
remedied  without  injuring  the  track  by  spiking  the 
curve  track  enough  wide  gage  to  have  it  line  true 
with  the  track  at  the  frog.  To  have  a  perfect  gage 
along  the  frog,  the  gage  should  be  tried  at  each  end 
of  the  frog  and  again  about  six  inches  back  of  the 
point  of  frog.  When  long  frogs  are  used  and  there  is 
very  little  curve  in  switch  lead,  the  track  can  be  spiked 
to  a  proper  gage  and  the  kink,  spoken  of  as  showing 
at  the  frog,  will  not  be  perceptible.  Foremen  should 
see  that  frogs  are  not  allowed  to  fill  up  with  ice  or 
snow  in  the  winter  season  and  when  foot  guards  for 
the  protection  of  trainmen  are  provided,  Section  Fore- 
men should  see  that  they  are  always  kept  properly  in 
place  to  prevent  any  liability  of  accident. 

LENGTH   OF   FROGS. 

9.  Long  frogs  and  long  switch  leads  are  the  best 
where  it  is  practicable  to  use  them;  the  rails  in  short 
switch  leads  soon  wear  out.  If  the  switch  lead  is 
long,  the  saving  effected  in  the  wear  of  the  rails  and 
rolling  stock  more  than  compensates  for  the  loss  of 
the  extra  amount  of  steel  in  the  long  frog  when  worn 
out.  A  valuable  feature  in  a  frog  is  to  have  it  of 
such  a  length  that  very  little  cutting  of  rails  is  neces- 
sary when  putting  in  a  new  switch.  Where  full 
length  rails  can  be  used  in  a  switch  it  saves  time,  labor 
and  material. 


FROGS   AND   SWITCHES.  151 

GUARD    RAILS. 

10.  The  guard  rail  at  switches  is  used  to  prevent 
the  car  and  locomotive  wheels  from  crossing  the 
point  of  the  frog  when  trains  are  passing  through 
the  switch.  The  length  and  shape  of  a  guard  rail 
adopted  as  the  standard  should  be  used  with  all  frogs 
in  service  on  the  same  road.  No  guard  rail  should 
exceed  ten  feet  in  length.  A  shorter  guard  rail  than 
the  length  given  above  may  be  used,  but  it  should  be 
secured  solidly,  beyond  the  possibility  of  displace- 
ment. Enough  of  the  middle  of  the  guard  rail  should 
be  spiked  down  parallel  with  the  track  rail,  opposite 
the  point  of  the  frog,  to  cover  the  distance  from  where 
the  side  wings  separate  at  the  throat  of  the  frog,  back 
to  the  frog  point.  This  is  an  ample  protection.  The 
guard  rail  may  be  secured  by  spiking  it  to  the  ties, 
and  by  passing  a  bolt  through  the  guard  rail  and  track 
rail  at  each  side  of  that  part  which  is  parallel  with 
the  track  rail,  leaving  between  the  two  rails,  a  wheel 
channel.  This  makes  it  unnecessary  to  use  braces 
except  as  additional  precaution.  Iron  spools  or  wash- 
ers may  be  used  on  the  bolts  between  the  webs  of  the 
guard  and  track  rails,  to  regulate  the  width  of  the 
wheel  channel,  which  should  never  be  more  than  two 
inches  on  a  standard  gage  track. 

The  extreme  ends  of  the  guard  rail  should  be 
spiked  to  the  ties  at  a  distance  of  four  inches  from 
the  track  rail.  But  may  be  laid  an  inch  closer  to 
track  rail  if  the  end  is  bent  round  towards  center  of 
track.  This  will  give  the  wheels  an  easy  and  gradual 
approach  to  the  narrower  space  where  the  rails  are 
parallel.  Guard  rails  should  not  be  sprung  to  the 
place  with  the  track  spikes  but  should  be  bent  to  the 
proper  shape  before  being  laid. 


152 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


FROGS    AND   SWITCHES.  153 

When  guard  rails  are  made  in  the  company's  shops 
their  ends  should  be  heated  and  hammered  down  to 
form  a  gradual  approach  or  slanting  surface  from  the 
base  of  the  rail,  where  it  rests  on  the  ties,  to  the  top. 
This  would  prevent  brake  beams,  chains,  or  snow 
plows,  etc.,  from  catching  on  the  end  of  the  guard 
rail  and  tearing  it  out  of  place.  It  would  be  well  to 
take  the  same  precaution  with  the  ends  of  guard  rails 
which  cross  bridges  or  go  around  curves  inside  the 
rails  on  main  track. 

IF    THERE    IS    NO   STANDARD. 

11.  Where  there  is  no  standard  guard  rail  used  on 
a  railroad,  and  the  Track  Foremen  have  to  provide, 
the  guard  rails  wanted,  when  they  put  in  a  new  switch, 
the  piece  of  rail  which  is  cut  from  a  full  length  rail 
to  let  in  the  frog  will  do  to  make  a  guard  rail  and  when 
long  enough  should  always  be  used  for  a  guard  rail 
in  preference  to  cutting  another  good  rail.  Very 
long  guard  rails  are  a  waste  of  material  and  fastenings, 
which  could  be  put  to  better  use  at  some  place  else  on 
the  road.  Long  guard  rails  are  always  difficult  to 
keep  ii.  place,  especially  on  sharp  turnouts,  because 
where  ten,  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  of  guard  rail  is  spiked 
down  parallel  with  the  track  rail,  as  is  often  the  case, 
the  drivers  of  an  engine  or  the  wheels  of  a  car  truck 
are  all  at  one  time  in  the  narrow  wheel  channel,  and 
cannot  curve  properly.  They  therefore  wrench  and 
twist  the  guard  rail,  while  the  wheel  base  is  held  in  a 
straight  line.  This  wears  the  rolling  stock,  besides 
making  it  more  difficult  for  an  engine  to  pull  a  train 
through  the  switch.  The  width  of  the  wheel  channel 
between  the  guard  rail  and  track  rail  should  never  be 


154  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

more  than  one-eighth  of  an  inch  wider  than  the 
wheel  channel  through  the  frog.  If  the  wheel  chan- 
nel between  the  guard  rail  and  track  rail  is  one-quar- 
ter inch  or  more  wider  than  the  frog  channel,  car 
wheels  with  sharp  flanges  are  very  apt  to  climb  the 
frog  point,  and  run  off  the  track,  especially  if  the 
guard  rail  side  of  the  track  is  the  highest.  The  frog 
point  always  shows  wear  on  whichever  side  the  guard 
rail  is  too  wide. 

To  make  a  guard  rail  properly,  take  a  ten  foot  piece 
of  iron  or  steel  rail,  and  bend  it  uniformly  from  the 
central  part  towards  the  ends,  until  a  cord  stretched 
along  the  face  of  it  shows  a  middle  ordinate  of  two 
inches  from  a  point  on  the  gage  side  of  the  rail  at  its 
center  to  the  middle  of  the  cord.  It  will  then  be 
ready  for  spiking  down  and  need  not  be  sprung  ,at 
any  place. 

SWITCH   TIMBERS. 

12.  As  there  is  considerable  difference  in  the 
standards  for  bills  of  switch  timbers  on  the  different 
railroads,  the  following  rules  will  be  useful  to  Track 
Foremen. 

RULE: — To  ascertain  the  number  of  pieces  needed 
for  any  switch  lead,  find  the  distance  from  the  head 
block  to  the  point  where  the  last  long  tie  will  be  used 
behind  the  frog.  Reduce  this  distance  to  inches,  and 
divide  it  by  the  number  of  inches  from  the  center  of 
each  tie  to  that  of  the  next  one.  This  will  give  the 
number  of  ties  wanted. 

EXAMPLE: — Distance  from  the  head  block  to  the 
last  long  tie  behind  the  frog,  55  feet;  reduced  to  in- 
ches, 660  inches;  distance  from  center  to  center  of 
ties,  20  inches;  number  of  ties  required,  33. 


FROGS   AND   SWITCHES.  155 

The  first  three  of  these  ties  next  the  head  block 
may  be  common  long  oak  cross  ties,  and  as  9  feet  is 
the  shortest  piece  sawed  square  for  a  switch  tie,  and 
14  feet  the  longest  for  a  single  throw  switch,  the  other 
30  pieces  may  be  divided  up,  when  ordering  the  dif- 
ferent lumber  lengths,  as  follows: 
5  pieces,  9  feet  long;  5  pieces,  12  feet  long. 

5       "        10    "        "  5        "      13     "       " 

5      "        11     "        "  5        "      14     "       " 

When  odd  lumber  lengths  of  switch  timbers  are  not 
furnished,  then  order  double  the  quantity,  10,  12  and 
14-foot  pieces.  In  large  yards  where  there  is  very 
heavy  traffic,  switch  timbers  should  not  be  laid  more 
than  8  or  9  inches  apart.  A  switch  that  is  well  put 
in,  with  timbers  under  it  8  inches  apart,  will  wear  out 
in  the  rails  without  needing  any  repairs  in  the  sur- 
face; but  when  ordering  switch  timbers  Foremen 
should  always  be  governed  by  whatever  standard  is 
in  force  on  the  road. 

TO   CUT   SWITCH    TIES    THE   PROPER    LENGTH. 

13.  RULE: — Measure  the  length  of  the  tie  next  the 
head  block  and  also  the  length  of  the  last  tie  behind 
the  frog.  Find  the  difference  in  inches  between  the 
lengths  of  the  two  ties,  divide  this  amount  by  the 
number  of  ties  in  the  switch  lead,  and  the  quotient 
should  be  the  increase  in  length  per  tie  from  the 
head  block  towards  the  frog,  to  have  the  ties  line 
evenly  on  both  sides  of  the  track. 

EXAMPLE: — We  will  suppose  the  tie  next  to  the 
head  block  to  be  8  feet  6  inches,  or  102  inches  in 
length,  and  the  last  tie  behind  the  frog,  14  feet,  or 
168  inches  in  length.  The  difference  in  the  lengths 


156  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

of  these  two  ties  is  5  feet  6  inches,  or  66  inches ;  divid- 
ing by  33,  the  number  of  ties,  gives  2  inches  as  the 
amount  that  each  tie  must  be  longer  than  the  last. 
Section  Foremen  will  find  this  rule  valuable  in 
many  cases,  especially  when  putting  in  a  cross-over 
from  one  track  to  another.  There  is  nothing  gained 
by  having  switch  ties  project  beyond  the  proper  line 
of  track.  They  cause  trouble  in  raising  track,  are 
unsightly,  and  labor  is  only  wasted  in  tamping  up  the 
long  ends.  The  switch  ties  may  be  cut  off  the  proper 
length  and  numbered  with  chalk,  and  the  line  side 
marked  for  the  rail  flange  before  put  in  the  track. 
The  work  can  be  done  in  that  way  quicker  and  better, 
and  the  unnecessary  labor  of  digging  out  for  and 
tamping  up  long  ends  can  be  dispensed  with. 

TAMPING    SWITCH    TIES. 

14.  When  a  switch  track  has  been  raised  to  sur- 
face the  track  at  that  place,  the  switch  ties  under  the 
frog  and  main  track  rail,  should  be  tamped  up  first. 
The  long  ends  of  switch  ties  should  be  tamped  up 
last  and  then  not  as  solid  as  those  under  the  frog. 
Tamping  bars  should  be  used  in  tamping  up  a  switch, 
and  special  care  should  be  taken  to  make  the  ties  as 
solid  as  possible  under  the  frog.  A  switch  is  all  the 
better  if  the  frog  is  a  shade  higher  than  the  balance  of 
the  switch.  Head  blocks  should  alno  be  a  little  higher; 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  higher  than  the  level  of  the  track 
rails  will  do  no  harm,  and  will  soon  come  dowTn  to 
level  on  a  stub  switch.  If  the  outer  ends  of  switch 
ties  are  tamped  up  first,  unless  the  timbers  are  very 
large,  they  will  sag  down  in  the  center  and  the  ends 
turn  up,  especially  if  a  train  is  allowed  to  pass  over 


FROGS    AND    SWITCHES.  157 

the  switch  before  the  ties  are  tamped  throughout  their 
length. 

A  set  of  switch  timbers  may  be  put  into-  a  mud 
track  very  quickly,  and  with  little  or  no  tamping,  by 
the  following  method.  Remove  all  the  old  timbers 
except,  a  few  to  support  the  track  rails.  Eaise  the 
rails  on  the  supporting  ties  about  a  quarter  of  an 
inch  higher  than  the  track  surface,  and  level  them 
with  a  spirit  level.  Clear  away  a  bed  for  the  timbers 
equal  to  their  depth,,  and  spread  a  little  loose  dirt  on 
it,  then  pull  in  the  timbers,  keeping  their  upper  sur- 
face close  up  to  the  rails  and  each  timber  level  through- 
out its  length  until  it  is  in  place. 

PUTTING    IN    THEEE-THEOW   SWITCHES.* 

15.  The  length  of  switch  ties  in  a  three-throw 
switch  is  found  by  doubling  the  set  for  a  single  turn- 
out, and  subtracting  the  length  of  the  standard  cross- 
tie.  When  putting  them  in  the  track,  measure  the 
length  of  each  tie  and  draw  a  chalk  line  across  the 
middle;  mark  also  the  middle  of  the  gage.  Lay 
the  gage  on  the  main  track,  and  as  each  tie  is  put 
under  the  track,  see  that  the  chalk  mark  across 
the  middle  of  the  tie  comes  directly  under  the  mid- 
dle of  the  gage.  The  proper  angle,  number  and 
distance  from  the  head  block  of  the  middle  frog  is 
given  in  table  No.  1.  The  number  of  the  middle  frog 
is  found  by  multiplying  the  number  of  the  principal 


*  There  is  a  great  deal  of  time,  labor  and  track  material  saved  in  the  use 
of  the  three-throw  switches,  or  -what  is  called  double-throw  switches. 
They  are  also  convenient  at  points  where  track  room  is  scarce. 

If  a  switch  comes  on  an  embankment,  the  amount  of  grading  is  much 
less  for  a  three  throw  switch,  than  for  two  single  throws.  Freight  trains 
can  be  switched  and  made  up  in  station  order  in  about  half  the  time  re- 
quired whh  single  switches.  And  the  use  of  three-throw  switches  at  way 
stations  enables  freight  trains  to  do  their  work  quicker  and  make  much 
better  time  in  getting  over  the  road. 


158 


THE  TBACKMAN'S  HELPER 


FROGS   AND   SWITCHES.  159 

frogs  by  the  decimal  .707,  and  its  distance  from  the 
head  block  is  found  by  dividing  the  radius  by  twice 
the  middle  frog  number,  and  subtracting  the  length 
of  switch  rail.  If  there  is  no  frog  of  the  angle  cor- 
responding to  the  angle  of  the  principal  frogs  at  hand, 
select  one  as  nearly  like  it  as  possible,  and  calculate 
its  distance  ahead  of  the  head  block.  The  line  of  the 
lead  rails  will  then  be  a  compound  curve. 

DERAILING   SWITCHES. 

16.  Fig.  21  illustrates  a  method  of  derailing  cars 
and  is  used  in  cases  where  extra  precautions  are  re- 
quired to  prevent  cars  from  accidentally  running  out 
of  the  siding  upon  the  main  track. 

It  consists  of  a  head  block,  a  low  switch  stand  with 
a  connecting  rod  attached  to  the  outside  rail  C  D, 
near  the  end  of  the  curve  on  the  siding,  and  a  head 
chair,  E,  to  receive  the  ends  of  the  rail,  B  and  C. 
Connection  is  broken  by  throwing  the  switch  which 
moves  the  moving  rail,  C  D,  inward.  This  guides  the 
derailed  car  away  from  the  main  track.  When  put- 
ting in  this  derailing  switch,  drive  a  row  of  spikes 
against  the  inside  flange  of  the  rail,  C  D,  when  set  for 
derailing;  and  place  rail  braces  on  the  outside  to  sup- 
port and  keep  the  rail  in  place,  when  set  for  the 
side  track.  It  is  good  policy  to  use  sound  oak  ties, 
spaced  not  more  than  eight  inches  apart  under  the 
moving  rail.  It  presents  a  smoother  surface  for  the 
derailed  cars  than  ties  spaced  the  ordinary  way,  and 
prevents  the  wheels  from  sinking  between  them. 

This  switch  has  less  parts  and  is  more  economical 
than  a  derailing  switch  with  two  moving  rails  con- 
nected with  rods.  When  properly  secured  with  a  hinge 


160  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

joint  or  pivot,  and  working  on  a  solid  plate  through, 
out  its  length,  a  much  shorter  sliding  rail  can  be  used. 
A  point  rail  can  be  used,  and  the  end  of  the  rail  at  B 
can  be  slightly  turned  outward,  but  there  is  no  ad- 
vantage in  its  use  except  to  make  it  work  lighter  when 
automatic  connection  is  made  with  the  main  track 
switch.  ' 

When  setting  up  switch-stand,  have  the  target  show 
danger,  when  the  switch  is  set  for  derailing. 

TURNOUTS   FROM   CURVES. 

17.  In  turnouts  from  curves,  the  lead  distance  is 
practically  the  same  as  turnouts  from  a  straight  track. 
The  degree  of  curve  of  the  turnout  is  approximately 
increased  by  the  degree  of  the  main  track  curve, 
when  the  turnout  is  with  the  curve;  and  decreased  the 
degree  of  the  main  track  curve,  when  the  turnout  is 
against  the  curve.  In  turnouts  against  curves,  when 
the  degree  of  the  main  track  curve  is  the  same  as  the 
turnout  curve  corresponding  to  the  frog,  the  lead  will 
be  straight;  when  greater,  the  turnout  curve  will  de- 
flect the  same  direction  as  the  main  track  curve.  As 
curves  for  the  ordinary  frog  numbers  are  sharp,  avoid 
as  much  as  possible  turnouts  from  the  inside  of  the 
curve. 

In  turnouts  from  curves  the  ordinates  for  a  straight 
track  will  be  increased  a  certain  rate  per  degree  of 
main  track  curve,  when  the  turnout  is  laid  with  the 
curve;  and  decreased  the  same  rate  per  degree  when 
the  turnout  is  laid  against  the  curve. 

EXAMPLE  :— A  turnout  with  a  curve ;  degree  of  main  track  curve,  2  degrees ; 
frog  No.  9.,  table  1.  Here  degree  of  curve  of  turnout  =  2  deg.  +  7  deg. 
31  m.  =  9  deg.  31  m.  Middle  ordinate  =  15-16  x  2  =  \7&  inches;  added  to  7 
inches  =  8%  inches.  Quarter  ordinate  =  11-16  X  2  =  1%  inches;  added  to 
5J4  inches  -&%  inches.  Middle  ordinate  8%  inches;  quarter  ordinate  fl% 
inches. 


FROGS   AND   SWITCHES.  161 

EXAMPLE  : — A  turnout  against  a  curve ;  degree  of  main  track  curve  4  deg. ; 
frog  No.  8.  table  2.  Here  degree  of  turnout  =  9  deg.  31m.  —  4  deg.  =  5  deg. 
31  m.  Middle  ordinate  —  %  x  4  =  3  inches;  subtracted  from  7  inches  =  4 
inches.  Quarter  ordinate  —  9-16  X  4  =  2J4  inches;  substracted  from  5J£  in- 
ches =  3  inches.  Middle  ordinate,  4 inches;  quarter  ordinate,  3  inches. 

EXAMPLE  :— A  turnout  against  a  curve ;  degree  of  main  track  curve  8  deg. ; 
frog,  No.  10,  table  2.  Here  degree  of  turnout  -  8  deg.  —  6  deg.  13  m.  =  1 
deg.  47  m.  The  turnout  will  curve  the  same  direction  aa  the  main  track 
curve.  Middle  ordmate  =  1 11-6-1  inches  x  8  =  9%  inches;  <d%  inches  —  ^l^ 
inches  =  \%  in.  Quarter  ordinate  =  %  inches  X  8  =  7  inches;  7  inches  — 
5  7-16  Inches  =  1  9-16  inches.  Middle  ordinate,  1%  inches.  Quarter  ordi 
uate  1 9-16  inches. 

TO  REACH  A  SIDE  TRACK  WITH  A  REVERSE  CURVE 
BEHIND  THE  FROG. 

18.  The  simplest  and  most  economical  method  for 
laying  out  a  side  track,  along  which  buildings  are  lo- 
cated, is  to  continue  the  lead  curve  back  of  the  frog 
to  a  point  which  would  be  midway  between  the  tracks 
if  they  paralleled  each  other.  Then  reverse  the  curve 
and  join  it  with  the  tangent  on  side  track  at  a  point 
the  same  distance  from  reversing  point  as  the  switch 
point  is  in  the  opposite  direction,  as  shown  in  Fig.  22. 

RULE: — When  laying  out  the  side  track  parallel 
with  the  main  track,  continue  setting  center  stakes  as 
if  for  a  tangent  from  A  to  B,  Fig.  22,  making  the 
latter  point  come  at  right  angles  with  C,  which  is  the 
point  of  switch  already  located  in  main  track. 

Then  measure  accurately  the  distance  between  the 
stakes,  B  and  C,  and  set  a  stake  at  D,  midway  be- 
tween them.  The  point,  R,  may  be  found  by  running 
a  line  of  stakes  from  D  to  F,  parallel  with  main  track. 

After  you  have  laid  the  switch  and  side  track  curve 
as  far  as  R,  then  measure  the  distance,  R  F,  making 
it  equal  to  the  distance,  R  D,  and  set  the  stake  at 
right  angles  with  F  at  A,  which  will  mark  the  end  of 
curve  on  the  side  track.  A  stake  may  be  set  at  E,  for 


162 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER 


FROGS   AND   SWITCHES.  163 

convenience  in  locating  the  point,  F,  and  the  angle 
F  A,  or  G  D,  may  be  squared  fairly  well  by  using  a 
common  track  gage,  laid  across  the  rails  at  C  or  E,  on 
the  main  track.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  good  track 
room  wasted,  where  side  tracks  are  put  in  with  a  long 
tangent  behind  the  frog  and  the  method  here  illus- 
trated has  advantages  where  land  is  valuable,  and  it 
also  economizes  material.  But  I  would  not  recom- 
mend the  use  of  curves  above  6  degrees,  because 
the  track  is  not  as  safe,  is  more  difficult  to  keep  in 
repair,  and  the  rails  wear  out  much  sooner  on  sharp 
curves. 

ROUND    HOUSE   TRACKS. 

19.  To  locate  the  frog  point  for  round  house  tracks, 
find  the  distance  between  and  including  the  tops  of 
the  two  adjoining  rails  in  two  stalls  of  the  house. 
Any  point  where  you  have  laid  the  rails  will  do  to 
measure  this  distance ;  near  the  house  doors  is  a  good 
place.  We  will  suppose  this  distance  to  be  twelve 
feet. 

The  frogs  about  to  be  used  are  four  feet  or  48  inches 
in  length  from  point  to  heel,  and  the  extreme  width 
of  the  heel  is,  say,  eight  inches.  By  dividing  the 
length,  48  inches,  by  the  width  of  the  heel,  you  find 
the  frog  to  be  a  number  six,  as  the  rails  deflect  from 
each  other  one  inch  in  six,  or  one  foot  in  six  feet,  two 
feet  in  twelve,  four  feet  in  twenty-four,  eight  feet  in 
forty-eight,  and  twelve  feet  in  a  distance  of  seventy- 
two,  etc. 

This  shows  that  the  point  of  frog  must  be  located 
severity-two  feet  ahead  from  the  point  where  measure- 
ments were  taken,  at  which  place  the  rails  were  twelve 
feet  apart.  But  to  locate  the  frog  point  accurately, 


164  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

two  lines  should  be  stretched  along  the  gage  side  of 
the  two  track  rails  running  out  of  adjoining  stalls. 
Carry  them  in  a  straight  line  to  the  turntable.  This 
will  cause  them  to  cross  each  other  where  the  frog 
point  should  be  located.  Stretch  the  lines  tight  and 
lay  the  frog  down  under  them  and  spike  it  to  the 
ties. 

In  order  to  get  the  true  point  of  a  frog  the  lines 
should  touch  the  gage  side  of  it  throughout  its  full 
length,  and  the  correct  point  is  where  the  lines  cross 
each  other,  not  the  end  of  the  steel  point.  After  the 
frog  is  located  the  rail  connections  behind  it  may  be 
made,  and  if  the  other  frogs  are  of  the  same  angle  as 
the  first  one,  they  should  all  be  placed  the  same  dis- 
tance from  the  turntable  and  spiked  accurately  to 
gage.  But  if  the  frogs  are  of  different  angles,  (which 
should  not  be  the  case)  they  will  need  to  be  laid  at 
different  distances  from  the  turntable  proportionate 
to  their  angles. 

ANOTHER  METHOD. 

20.  The  frogs  which  lead  from  the  turntable  into 
the  round  house  may  also  be  located  in  the  following 
manner.  Draw  two  cords  along  the  gage  side  of  the 
nearest  rails  in  two  adjoining  stalls  and  cross  the  lines 
before  reaching  the  turntable.  Then  stretch  the  cords 
tight,  holding  the  end  of  each  at  the  middle  of  one  of 
the  track  rails  on  the  center  of  the  turntable.  Swing 
the  turntable  into  line  with  one  of  the  stalls,  and 
while  it  is  held  in  this  position  mark  the  place  where 
the  two  lines  cross  each  other.  The  place  so  marked 
will  be  the  point  of  your  first  frog.  The  other  frogs 
will  all  be  right  if  placed  the  same  distance  from  the 


FROGS   AND    SWITCHES.  165 

turntable  as  the   first  one,  and  spiked  accurately  to 


CROSS-OVER   TRACKS. 

21.  To  put  in  a  cross-over  from  one  track  to  an- 
other where  the  work  has  not  been  laid  out  by  an  en- 
gineer: 

RULE:  —  Put  in  the  first  frog  and  switch  lead  com- 
plete on  one  track.  Then  sight  a  straight  line  along 
the  gage  rail  from  opposite  the  point  of  frog,  which 
you  have  just  put  in  track,  to  the  nearest  rail  of  the 
adjoining  track.  Where  the  line  crosses  the  rail  is 
where  the  point  of  the  next  frog  ought  to  be  located 
to  complete  the  cross-over  if  both  frogs  are  of  the  same 
angle. 

Another  method  when  the  same  size  frogs  are  used: 
Take  the  difference  between  the  gage  lines  of  the  in- 
side rails  and  the  gage  of  track,  multiply  the  remain- 
der by  the  frog  number,  and  the  result  will  be  the 
distance  measured  along  the  track,  Fig.  23,  as  D  C,  or 
AB. 

EXAMPLE:—  Distance  between  gage  lines  of  middle  rails,  7ft.  Frog  No. 
9.  Distance  between  frog  points  equals  7  ft.  less  4  ft.  8  inches.  =2  ft.  3l/t 
inches;  2  ft  3l/2  inches  X9=20  ft.  7'/£  inches. 

If  frogs  of  different  angles  are  used  in  a  cross-over, 
say  a  No.  10  and  a  No.  7,  figure  by  rule  the  distance 
required  for  a  pair  of  No.  10  frogs,  also  the  distance 
for  a  pair  of  No.  7  frogs.  Then  add  half  of  the  dis- 
tance of  the  No.  10  frog  to  half  the  distance  of  the 
No.  7  frog,  and  the  total  amount  is  the  distance  re- 
quired between  frog  points.* 

This  principle  will  apply  correctly  to  any  case  of 
variation  in  frog  angles. 

*  Sharp  curves  should  not  be  put  in  a  cross-over  except  when  it  Is  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  do  so,  in  order  to  conveniently  locate  a  switch. 


166 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


The  turnout  curves,  corresponding  to  the  frog  an- 
gles in  a  cross-over,  should  be  carried  a  proper  dis- 
tance beyons  the  frogs  until  they  meet  and  reverse 
between  the  tracks. 

TABLE  OF  DISTANCES    BETWEEN    FROG   POINTS  IN  CROSS- 
OVER  TRACKS. 

22.  The  following  table  shows  the  distance  be- 
tween frog  points  diagonally  in  any  cross-over  track 
put  in  with  the  frogs  mentioned  in  the  table,  for  dis- 
tances between  tracks  of  7  to  15  feet.  Where  the  dis- 
tance between  two  tracks  is  greater  than  15  feet,  Fore- 
men can  calculate  the  distance  between  the  frog 
points  by  the  rules  preceding  this  table: 


Numbers 
of 
Frogs. 

DISTANCE  BETWEEN  TRACKS. 

7  ft. 

8ft. 

9ft. 

10  ft.  11  ft. 

12  ft. 

13ft. 

14ft. 

15  ft. 

ft  in. 
50  6 
62 
72 
82  4 
92  8 
103 
113  3 
123  6 

ft.  in. 
11  6 
13  6 
16 
18  4 
20  8 
23 
25  3 
27  6 

ft.  in. 
16  6 
19  9 
23 
26  4 
29  8 
33 
36  3 
89  6 

ft.  in. 
21  6 
25  9 
30 
84  4 
88  8 
43 
47  8 
51  6 

ft.  in. 
26  6 
81  9 
87 
42  4 
47  8 
53 
58  3 
63  6 

ft.  in. 
81  6 
88 
44 
50  4 
56  8 
63 
69  3 
75  6 

ft.  in. 
86  6 
44 
51 
58  4 
65  8 
78 
80  3 
87  6 

ft.  in. 
41  6 
50 
58 
66  4 
74  8 
83 
91  3 
«9  6 

ft.  in. 
46 
56 
65 
74  4 
83  8 
98 
102  3 
111  6 

to  5  
to  6  

to  7 

to  8..  . 

to  9  

to  10  
to  11  

to  12  

As  the  above  table  gives  the  distance  in  feet  from 
a  point  on  the  gage  rail  opposite  the  point  of  the  first 
frog  to  the  point  of  the  frog  in  the  next  switch  of  the 
cross-over  track,  the  length  of  the  second  frog  from 
point  to  heel  must  be  deducted  from  the  distance 
given,  when  preparing  the  rails  which  cross  between 
the  tracks. 

A  reverse  curve  can  be  made  longer  in  the  cross- 


FROGS  AND   SWITCHES. 


167 


168  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

over  between  tracks  when  they  are  very  far  apart,  and 
there  is  not  room  to  put  it  in  the  regular  way. 
PARALLEL  TRACKS. 

23.  Where  a  track  runs  diagonally  from  a  main 
track  and  it  is  used  to  throw  off  switches  from,  and  if 
the  tracks  from  such  switches  is  to  run  parallel  to  the 
main  track,  inexperienced  Foremen  find  it  difficult  to 
locate  the  frog  for  a  new  track  so  as  to  have  straight 
track  behind  it.     The  place  for  the  point  of  frog  for  a 
new   track  can  be  easily  located    by  the  following 
method: 

RULE: — Sight  a  line  with  stakes  where  you  find  the 
outside  of  the  rail  should  come  back  of  the  frog  on 
your  intended  track,  and  parallel  to  the  main  track,  or 
the  nearest  track  which  runs  in  the  same  direction. 
Then  with  stakes  carry  the  line  perfectly  straight 
until  it  crosses  the  first  rail  of  the  diagonal  track. 
This  is  where  the  frog  point  should  be  placed  for  the 
new  track. 

The  above  rule  will  always  work  well  where  the  two 
tracks  separate  behind  the  frog  at  an  angle  corre- 
sponding to  the  angle  of  the  frog,  but  should  it  be 
necessary  to  maintain  two  tracks,  running  from  a 
switch,  which  diverge  at  an  angle  that  will  not  suit 
the  frogs  you  intended  to  use,  you  can  ascertain  by 
the  method  shown  in  the  diagram,  Fig.  24,  what  kind 
of  a  frog  will  be  needed. 

HOW   TO   ASCERTAIN   THE   KIND   OF    FROG    NEEDED. 

24.  The  lines  in  diagram  represent  the  rails  of  two 
tracks.     Measure  across  between  the  tracks  rails  at 
the  points  marked  A  and  B,  each  of  which  is  an  equal 
distance  from  C,  which  marks  where  the  rails  cross  or 
point  of  intersection,  then  measure  the  distance,  C  B. 


FROGS   AND   SWITCHES 


169 


170  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

Now  divide  the  distance,  C  B,  by  the  distance,  A  B, 
and  the  result  will  be  the  angle  of  the  frog  required 
Suppose  the  distance,  A  B,  is  twelve  inches,  and  the 
distance,  C  B,  nine  feet;  it  would  require  a  one  to 
nine  frog,  or  as  it  is  sometimes  called  a  number  nine 
frog.  'The  distance,  A  B,  may  be  measured  where  the 
rails  or  lines  are  only  (six  or  eight  inches  apart,  but  the 
result  will  always  be  the  same  in  proportion  to  the 
distance  from  C  to  Bk  Where  tracks  are  to  run  par- 
allel with  each  other,  it  is  best  to  gage  the  distance 
they  are  to  be  apart  by  measuring  from  the  nearest 
rail  of  a  permanent  track  adjoining,  if  in  good  line,  or 
from  the  center  of  the  main  track  in  yards. 

SPUR   TRACKS. 

25.  Spur  tracks  should  be  laid  with  a  view  to 
avoiding  any  extra  switching.  Always  put  in  a  switch 
on  that  end  of  the  spur  track  which  is  in  the  direc- 
tion in  which  the  loaded  cars  are  to  be  hauled.  This 
matter  does  not  always  receive  the  attention  it  de- 
serves. It  is  much  easier  to  throw  empty  cars  back 
upon  a  spur  track  than  to  head  an  engine  in  after  the 
loads,  and  push  them  ahead  to  the  nearest  station  to  be 
switched  there  again.  Much  valuable  time  could  be 
saved  if  all  spur  sidings  could  be  dispensed  with. 
Time  is  money  in  all  the  departments  of  a  railroad, 
and  to  those  Trackmen  who  supervise  the  laying  of 
any  new  tracks,  especially  in  yards,  I  would  say,  lay 
all  tracks  with  a  view  to  the  most  efficient  handling 
of  cars.  Help  the  train  department  all  you  can.  Put 
a  switch  at  both  ends  of  a  track  whenever  it  can  be 
done  at  a  reasonable  cost. 


CURVED  TRACK. 
CHAPTER    VII. 

1  Radii,  Ordinates,  Tangeut  and  Cord  Deflections,  (Table  3)— 3,  To  Lay 
Out  a  Curve  by  the  Eye— 3,  To  Find  the  Radius  of  a  Curve  Required  to 
Reach  any  Desired  Object,  the  Point  of  Curve  Being  Known^t,  Method 
of  Laying  a  Spur  Track  Curve— 5,  Three  Methods  of  Finding  the  Differ 
ence  in  Length  Between  the  Inner  and  Outer  Rails  of  a  Curve— 6,  Broken 
or  Staggered  Joints  on  Curves. 

7,  Elevation  of  Curves— 8,  Elevate  for  the  Greatest  Speed— 9,  Sharp  Curves 
and  Elevation— 10,  When  Speed  of  Trains  Does  Not  Exceed  15  Miles 
per  Hour— 11,  The  Curve  on  Passing  Tracks— 12,  Table  of  Ordinates 
—13,  How  to  Apply  It— 14,  Compound  Curves— 15,  Frequent  Changes— 16, 
Curve  Track  Gages— 17,  Laying  the  Rails  on  Curves— 18,  To  Curve  a  Rail 
Properly — 19,  The  Curve  Approach — 20,  Printed  Information  for  Fore- 
men— 3it  Guard  Rails  on  Curves — 22,  Between  Reverse  Curves — 23,  Put- 
ting the  Elevation  in  Curves. 

34,  Rules  for  Lining  Curves — 25,  Effect  of  Locomotives  and  Car  Wheels  on 
Track— 26,  Elevation  Balance— 27,  Liability  of  Derailment— 28,  Reduced 
Speed— 29,  A  Curve  in  a  Sag— 30,  Care  of  Curves— 31,  Lining  Curves— 32 
Straight  Rails  in  Curves— 33,  Traeklaying  Where  Curves  are  Frequent— 
34,  Foremen  Should  Know  the  Degree— 35,  A  Good  Curve— 36,  Dangerous 
Cars  on  Curves. 

RADII,    ORDINATES,    TANGENT   AND   CORD   DEFLECTIONS 

1.  Curves  are  spoken  of  as  being  of  a  certain  de- 
gree or  radius.  The  radii  of  curves  are  proportional 
to  the  degree  of  curvature.  The  radii  corresponding 
to  any  degree  may  be  found  approximately,  by  divid- 
ing 5730  (the  radius  of  a  1  degree  curve)  by  the  de- 
gree of  curve. 

Kadius  of  a  5  degree  curve  =  5730  -  5  =  1146. 

This  rule  is  very  close  for  radii  of  not  less  than 
500  feet. 


172 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


TABLE   3 — RADII,  ORDINATES  AND   DEFLECTIONS  FOR 
100  FEET  CORDS. 


Deg. 

D.M. 

Rad. 

Mid. 
Ord. 

Tang. 
Deflec. 

Cord. 
Defl. 

Deg. 

Rad 

I-'T. 

Mid. 
Ord. 

FT    IN 

Tang. 
Dettec. 

Cord. 
Deflec 

FT. 

FT.  IN. 

FT.  IN. 

FT.  IN. 

D.    M. 

FT        TN. 

FT.      IN 

0  10 

34377 

3    0/5 

0      If 

0      31 

7       819 

1     6ft    611 

12    21 

20 

17189 

0     Of 

0    31 

0     7 

10!800 

1     62 

6    3 

12    6 

30 

11459 

0     1ft 

0    51 

0  10  i 

20782 

1     7,",. 

6     4| 

12    91 

40 

8594 

0     If 

0    7 

1     2" 

30765 

1     7  I 

6    61 

13    1 

50 

6875 

0     2,| 

0    82 

1    5  176 

40748 

1       8/5 

6    81 

13    4/5 

1 

5730 

0     2| 

0  10  i 

1    8  }| 

50732 

1     81 

6  10 

13    8 

10 

4911 

0    3/« 

1    Oft 

*?    0  7~ 

8 

717 

1     8ft|  G  11| 

13  lift 

20 

4297 

0     31 

1    2 

2    3ft 

10 

702 

1     9! 

7    1ft 

14     21 

30 

3820 

0     3Ji 

1    3U 

2    7/5 

20688 

1     9}«    7    3ft 

14     6% 

40 

3438 

0     4f 

1    5ft 

2  10  f 

30,675 

1  101 

7    4ft 

14    '9% 

50 

3125 

0     4ft|l     7/« 

3    21 

40662 

1  10}  1 

7    6H 

15     1% 

2 

28(55 

0     51 

1     8ft 

3    5| 

50649 

i  Hi 

7    8/5 

15    4}| 

10 

2645 

0     5H 

1  10}  1 

3    91 

9 

0:57 

1  HI'S 

7  101 

15    8ft 

20 

2456 

0     61 

2    0/5 

4    01 

10 

G2, 

2    0 

7  111 

15  lift 

30 

2292 

0     6/5 

2    2ft 

4    4| 

20 

515 

2    O/, 

8     If 

16    31 

40 

2149 

0     7 

2    3ft 

4     7  f 

30 

50.1 

2    0| 

8    3f 

16    6M 

50 

2022 

0     7ft 

2    5ft 

4  lift 

40 

593 

2    1ft 

'8    51 

16  101 

3 

1910 

0     11 

2    7ft 

5    2ft 

50 

5832    If 

8    61 

17     111 

10 
20 
30 

1810 
1719 
1637 

0     8ft 
0     82 
0     9ft 

2    9/5 
2  10| 

a   01  j 

5    6/g 
5    9ft 
ti    1ft 

10 
30 
11 

5742    2ft 
5462    31 
5222    4ft 

8    8| 

1  V1 

17    5-ft 
18    3f 
19    2 

40 

1563 

0     9fj 

3    2f 

6    4f 

30 

4992    61 

10    01 

20    01 

50 

1495 

0  10  /,. 

3    41 

6    81 

12 

4782    7/5 

10    5/5 

20  10  I 

4 

1433 

0  10  i' 

35$ 

6  11  f 

30 

4592     82 

10  10  | 

21    9| 

10 

1375 

o  loi 

3    7f 

7    31 

13 

4422  10/g 

11    3  1 

22    7ji 

20 

1322 

011/5 

3    9| 

7    61 

30 

425  2  11  1 

H     9ft 

23    6^ 

30 

1274 

o  HH 

3  11  J 

7  101 

14 

41013    OH 

12    21 

24    4i| 

40 

1228 

i   0/5 

4    Of 

8    If 

30 

369 

3    2 

12    7ft 

25    2^ 

50 

1186 

i   011 

4    2| 

8    5/5 

15 

383 

3    3/5 

13    Of 

26    1M 

5 

1146 

i   it 

4    41 

8    8ft 

30 

371 

3    4| 

13    5ft 

26  11% 

10 

1109 

i   if 

4    6ft 

9    0/5 

16 

35!) 

3    5ft 

13  11 

27  10 

20 

1075 

1    2 

4    7ft 

9    3ft 

30 

348 

3    71 

U    4/5 

28     8% 

30 

1042 

1    21 

4    9ft 

9    7^8 

17 

33S 

3    8| 

14    9% 

29    6% 

40 

1012 

1    2| 

4  lift 

9  10% 

18 

320 

3  111 

15    7% 

31     3T? 

50 
6 

983 
955 

1    31 
1    3}i 

5    2ft 

10    2ft 
10    5% 

19 
20 

303 

2SS 

^    41 

16    6ft 
17    4% 

33    Oy6 

10 

930 

1     41 

5    4ft 

10    9% 

21 

274 

47i 

18    2H 

36    5% 

20 

905 

1    4ft 

5    6/5 

11    Oft 

22 

262 

4    9M 

19    1 

38    2 

30 

882 

1    5 

5    8 

11    4 

23 

251 

5    Oft 

19  111 

39  10^ 

40 

860 

5    9f 

11    7^ 

24 

210 

5    3V 

20    91 

41    7 

50 

839 

1    5T|S 

11  11 

25 

231 

5    5M 

21    7% 

43    3^ 

CURVED   TRACK.  178 

The  middle  ordinate  of  a  cord  is  the  perpendicu- 
lar distance  from  the  middle  of  the  cord  to  the 
curve;  thus  M  N,  Fig.  25,  is  the  middle  ordinate  of 
the  cord,  C  D. 

The  middle  ordinate  may  be  found,  approximately, 
by  dividing  the  square  of  the  cord  by  eight  times 
the  radius.  The  error  for  a  50  ft.  cord  on  a  20  de- 
gree curve  is  only  1-32  of  an  inch. 

The  cord  deflection  of  a  100  ft.  cord  may  be  ascer- 
tained (exactly)  by  dividing  10,000  by  the  radius  in 
feet.  The  tangent  deflection  is  one-half  the  cord  de- 
flection. 

TO   LAY  OUT   A   CURVE   BY  THE   EYE. 

2.  In  Fig.  25,  the  cord,  H  C,  subtends  the  angle 
formed  by  the  tangent,  A  B,  produced  to  H,  with  the 
cord,  B  C,  is  called  the  tangent  deflection.  The 
cord,  I  D,  which  subtends  the  angle  formed  by 
the  cord,  B  C,  produced  to  I,  with  the  cord,  C  D, 
is  called  the  cord  deflection.  The  number  of  de- 
grees in  the  angle,  I  C  D,  expresses  the  degree  of 
curve.  The  tangent  deflection  is  equal  to  one-half 
the  cord  deflection. 

Table  3,  has  the  radius,  tangent  deflection,  cord  de- 
flection and  middle  ordinates,  calculated  for  cords  of 
100  ft.  for  differences  of  10  minutes.  For  a  curve 
containing  odd  minutes,  the  parts  can  be  readily  cal- 
culated by  simple  proportion.  Having  these  respec- 
tive distances,  any  intelligent  Foreman  can  trace  a 
curve  on  the  ground,  with  tolerable  accuracy,  especi- 
ally where  the  ground  is  favorable.  Suppose  it  be 
required  to  lay  out  in  this  manner,  a  four  degree 
curve. 

First,  find  from  table  3,  the  tangent  deflection,  H 


174 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER 


CURVED   TRACK.  175 

C,  corresponding  to  a  four  degree  curve,  viz:  3  ft.  5$ 
inches,  and  also  the  cord  deflection,  I  D,  or  K.  E,  6 
ft.  llf  inches.  Then  from  the  starting  point.  B,  and 
in  line  with  A  B,  measure  B  H,  equal  to  100  ft.,  and 
mark  the  point  H.  Swing  the  tape  around  toward  B 
C,  keeping  the  end  at  B  fixed,  at  the  same  time  meas- 
ure from  the  point  H,  the  tangent  deflection  3  ft.  5$ 
inches,  and  place  a  stake  at  C,  for  the  first  point  on 
the  curve.  Then  make  C  I,  equal  to  100  ft.,  putting 
a  peg  at  I,  in  line  with  those  at  B  and  C.  Swing  the 
tape  or  cord  around  until  I  D  is  equal  to  the  cord  de- 
flection, 6  ft.  llf  inches.  Place  a  stake  at  D  for  the 
second  point  on  the  curve. 

In  the  same  manner  continue  the  cord  deflection 
until  the  end  of  the  curve  is  reached  at  E. 

In  order  to  pass  from  the  curve  at  E,  into  the  next 
tangent,  E  G,  make  E  L  equal  to  100  ft.,  and  put  in 
a  peg  at  L  in  line  with  those  at  D  and  E.  Swing  the 
tape  around  until  F  L  is  equal  to  the  tangent  deflec- 
tion. Then  will  a  line,  passing  through  E  and  F,  be 
tangent  to  the  curve  at  E. 

If  the  last  cord,  D  E,  is  less  than  100  ft.,  its  tangent 
deflection  can  be  calculated  by  multiplying  the 
square  of  the  sub-cord  by  the  tangent  deflection  of  a 
100  ft.  cord,  and  dividing  by  1,000.  Then  throw  off  a 
tangent  to  the  curve  at  D,  lay  off  from  it  the  calcu- 
lated tangent  deflection  for  the  sub-cord,  making  D 
E  of  the  given  length.  Lay  the  curve  out  and  let  the 
stakes  form  the  center  line  of  track. 

TO  FIND   THE   RADIUS   OF  A   CURVE   REQUIRED  TO  REACH 

ANY   DESIRED  OBJECT,   THE   POINT  OF 

CURVE   BEING    KNOWN. 

3.     In  Fig.  26,  A  B,  represents  a  tangent,  and*  start- 


176  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

ing  at  a  point  as  A,  it  is  required  to  reach  the  point 
C.  From  the  starting  point  A,  measure  along  the 
tangent  to  a  point  B,  square  across  from  O,  then 
measure  the  perpendicular  distance,  B.  C.  Then  di- 
vide the  square  of  the  distance,  A  B,  by  twice  B  C 
and  to  the  quotient  add  |  B  C,  the  result  will  be  the 
required  radius.  The  line  of  the  perpendicular  can 

A  3 


C 

FIG.    26. 

be  obtained  by  placing  the  gage  on  the  track,  and 
sighting  along  it;  or  if  A  B  is  only  a  line  of  stakes, 
as  the  line  of  the  frog  produced,  lay  off  on  the  ground 
the  sides  of  a  right  angle  triangle,  15,  20  and  25  feet 
are  convenient  lengths,  always  making  15  or  20,  coin- 
cide with  the  given  tangent.  If  the  main  line  is 
curved,  the  measurements  may  be  taken  on  the  pro- 
longation of  the  tangent  through  the  starting  point- 

EXAMPLE:— Given  A  B  =400  and  BO,  =162.4.  to  find  radius.  Radius  = 
400  x  400  -T-  2  x  162.4  +  162.4  -H  2  =  492.6  -f  812  =  573.8,  the  radius  of  a  10  deg. 
curve. 

If  B  0  and  the  radius  of  the  curve  are  given,  A  B 
is  calculated  as  follows:  From  twice  the  radius  sub- 
tract B  C;  multiply  this  difference  by  B  0,  and  extract 
the  square  root. 

EXAMPLE :— B  C  =  164.4  and  the  radius  573.8;  AB  =  573.8  X  2  =1147.6, 1147.6— 
162.4  x  162.4  =  15996.48,  the  square  root  of  which  is  400—. 


CURVED  TRACK.  177 

METHOD   OF   LAYING   A   SPUR   TRACK  CURVE. 

4.  In  Fig.  27,  it  is  required  to  lay  a  permanent 
track  to  a  warehouse  at  K,  from  main  line,  A  D. 

Range  a  tangent,  E  I,  at  the  proper  distance  from, 
and  parallel  to  the  warehouse.  Then  at  a  convenient 
point,  as  C,  on  the  center  line  of  main  track,  lay  off 
the  angle,  DOE,  equal  to  the  angle  of  the  frog  used. 
A  simple  way  of  doing  this  is  to  measure  a  convenient 
distance,  C  D,  say  100  ft.,  along  center  line  of  main 
track,  placing  a  peg  at  D.  Divide  this  distance  by 
the  frog  number,  and  make  the  perpendicular,  D  L 
equal  to  the  quotient  obtained.  Produce  the  line 
from  C  through  L  until  it  intersects  the  tangent  from 
the  warehouse  in  E;  mark  this  point.  Take  from 
turnout  table  No.  1,  in  column  headed,  "Tangent," 
the  distance  opposite  the  number  of  frog  used. 
Make  C  B  equal  to  this  distance,  and  B  will  be  the 
heel  of  switch.  Also  make  C  F,  the  same  distance, 
and  F  will  be  a  point  on  center  line  of  turnout,  oppo- 
site the  point  of  frog. 

It  now  remains  to  join  the  straight  lines,  C  E,  and 
I  E,  with  a  curve.  If  it  is  desired  to  commence  the 
curve  at  the  point  of  frog,  measure  the  distance,  F  E, 
and  lay  off  an  equal  distance,  E  H,  on  the  tangent 
El.  F  and  H  will  be,  respectively,  the  beginning 
and  end  of  curve.  To  find  the  radius  to  join  these 
tangents,  measure  the  distance  F  H,  putting  a  peg  at 
G,  midway  and  on  line  between  F  and  H.  Measure 
E  G.  The  radius  required  will  be  equal  to  F  G 
multiplied  by  F  E,  and  the  product  divided  by  E  G. 
The  curves  can  then  be  put  in  by  the  method  given 
in  paragraph  2,  describing  how  to  lay  out  a  curve  by 
the  eye. 


178  .  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


FIG.  27. 


CTJBVED  TRACK.  179 

EXAMPLE  :— F  E  measures  260,  F  G,  254  and  E  G,  57.61.  Radius  =  960  X  254 
-*-  57.61  =  1146.5,  corresponding  to  a  5  deg.  curve. 

If  a  radius  is  assumed,  the  distances  to  measure 
down  the  tangents  to  set  the  beginning  and  end  of 
curve  must  be  calculated.  From  E,  measure  any  con- 
venient equal  distances,  E  M  and  E  P.  Measure  M 
P,  putting  a  point  N  midway  and  on  line  between 
them,  and  measure  E  N.  The  tangents  of  the  curve 
will  be  equal  to  E  N  multiplied  by  the  radius  and  the 
product  divided  by  M  N. 

EXAMPLE:— M  N  =  80;  radius  955;  E  N  =  18.  Tangents  =  855  X  18  -f-  80 
=  201.5 

THREE    METHODS   OF    FINDING    THE    DIFFERENCE    IN 

LENGTH    BETWEEN    THE   INNER   AND   OUTER 

RAILS  OF   A  CURVE. 

5.  1st.  The  difference  in  length  may  be  taken  at 
1  and  1-32  inches,  per  degree  of  curve,  per  100  ft. 

EXAMPLE:— To  find  the  length  between  the  inner  and  outer  rails  on  600 
ft.  of  10  deg.  curve.  Here  10  X  1  1-3S  X  6  =  5.124  ft.  =  5  ft.  1H  inches.  Dec- 
imal parts  of  a  foot  are  reduced  to  inches  in  table  No.  5. 

2nd.  Divide  the  distance  from  center  to  center  of 
the  rails  (ordinarily  4ft.  11  inches  equal  4.9167  ft.) 
by  the  radius  of  the  curve,  and  multiply  the  result  by 
the  length  of  the  curve  in  ft. 

EXAMPLE  :— Taking  the  same  example  600  ft.  of  10  deg.  curve,  4.9167 
•*-  573.7  X  600  =  5.142  ft.  =  5  ft.  1J£  inches. 

3rd.  Multiply  the  excess  for  a  whole  circumfer- 
ence, by  the  total  number  of  degrees  in  the  curve,  and 
divide  the  product  by  360.  The  excess  for  a  whole 
circumference  no  matter  what  the  degree  of  curve,  is 
equal  to  twice  the  distance  between  rail  centers  mul- 
tiplied by  3.1416. 

Where  the  distances  between  rail  centers  is  4ft  llf 
inches,  the  excess  for  a  whole  circle  is  30.892  ft. 


180  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

EXAMPLE  :— Taking  the  same  example  600  ft.  of  10  deg.  curve.    30.892  X 
600  -r-360  =  5.148  ft  =  5.  ft   1%  inches  —  . 

For  the  easier  curves  that  are  laid  to  exact  gage  the 
first  method  is  the  simplest.  On  sharper  curves,  where 
the  gage  is  widened,  use  the  second  method,  or  pre- 
pare a  table  by  the  third  method. 

"BROKEN"  OR  "STAGGERED"  JOINTS  ON  CURVES. 

6.  Whenever  it  is  required  to  lay  "  broken  "  joints 
on  curves,  and  even  joints  on  tangent,  it  is  necessary 
to  cut  but  one  rail.  Find  the  difference  in  length  be- 
tween the  inner  and  outer  rails  of  the  curve.  Cut  the 
rail  so  that  one  piece  will  be  as  much  longer  than  the 
other  piece,  as  the  difference  between  the  inner  and 
outer  rails  of  the  curve.  Lay  the  longer  piece  on  the 
outside  at  the  beginning  of  curve.  Continue  the 
joints  thus  broken  until  the  other  end  of  the  curve  is 
reached,  where  it  will  be  necessary  to  lay  the  other 
piece  of  the  rail  that  was  cut  to  make  the  joints  even 
again. 

When  it  is  desired  to  continue  "broken"  joints 
through  two  or  more  curves  with  short  tangents  be- 
tween them,  it  may  be  done  by  adding  together  the 
central  angles  of  the  curves  turning  to  right,  substract- 
ing  therefrom,  all  angles  of  curves  to  left,  and  treat- 
ing the  difference  thus  obtained  as  one  central  angle 
of  curvature. 

When  laying  track  on  curves  with  even  joints,  use 
one  29^  ft.  rail  per  100  ft.  for  each  6  degrees  of 
curvature. 


CURVED  TRACK. 


181 


TABLE   4.— ELEVATION  OF  CURVES. 


DEGREE 
OF   CURVE. 

Length  of 
Approach. 

Elevation. 

Width 
of  Gage. 

Speed 
of  Trains. 

1. 

2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 
g 

60  f 
120 
150 
180 
180 
210 
210 
240 
240 
270 
270 
270 
240 
240 
240 
240 

;. 

1     in. 
2    ins. 
2*    " 

!'  :: 

11  :: 
?  :: 

4^    " 
4|    " 
4f    " 

i: 

4: 

4  ft.  8t  ins. 
4  "   8i     - 
"  8}    " 

::  H  :: 

::  r  :: 

"  9      " 

"  9      " 
4  "  9      " 
4  "  9J    " 
4  "  9|    " 
4  "  9J    " 
4  "  9i    « 
4  "  9fc    •' 
4  "  9£    " 

60  m.  pr.  h. 
60         ' 
60 
55 
50 
45 
40 
35 
30 
25 
20 
15 
10 
10 
10 
10 

9 

10.. 

11  
12  

13 

14  

15  
16  

7.  The  above  table  for  elevation  of  curves  is 
practical,  and  has  given  satisfaction  when  tried  on  a 
single  track  railroad.  It  is  based  on  the  following 
theories: 

All  curves,  when  it  is  possible,  should  have  an  ele- 
vated approach  on  the  straight  main  track,  long 
enough  for  trains  to  have  ample  time  to  go  on  and  off 
the  curve  without  any  shock  such  as  there  would  be 
where  the  elevation  was  on  the  curve  only. 

The  approach  should  be  elevated  in  proportion  to 
the  elevation  on  the  curve  (not  the  degree  of  curve), 
and  carried  out  at  each  end  of  the  curve  30  feet,  or 
one  rail  length,  for  each  half  inch  or  fraction  thereof, 
of  the  minimum  elevation  on  the  curve.  The  rail- 
joint  is  the  best  place  for  Trackmen  to  adjust  the  ele- 
vation when  raising  track.  It  requires  a  greater 
amount  of  elevation  on  the  first  three  or  four  degrees 
of  curvature  to  balance  the  cars  properly,  and  change 


182  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

the  center  of  gravity  more  towards  the  inside  rail  in 
order  to  allow  the  wheels  to  vibrate  and  adjust  their 
circumference  to  prevent  slipping.  After  this  is  ac- 
complished, the  same  conditions  may  be  maintained 
by  only  increasing  the  elevation  per  degree  at  the  rate 
of  one-fourth  of  an  inch,  as  long  as  the  curve  is  not 
too  sharp  to  run  trains  at  a  good  speed.  But  when  a 
curve  is  so  sharp  that  the  speed  of  trains  going  over 
it  must  be  reduced  materially,  the  elevation  may  also 
be  reduced. 

The  gage  of  curve  track  is  widened  for  the  reason 
that  if  the  standard  gage  is  maintained  while  the 
curvature  increases,  as  soon  as  the  difference  between 
wheel  flange  gage  and  track  gage  is  taken  up,  by  the 
length  of  wheel  base,  the  wheels  can  no  longer  turn 
freely  and  must  therefore  slip,  wearing  and  crowding 
the  rails,  increasing  the  liability  to  climb  the  rails  and 
making  it  more  difficult  for  a  locomotive  to  pull  the 
cars.  The  curves  on  a  standard  gage  road  need  to  be 
widened  in  the  gage,  if  for  no  other  reason,  than  that 
the  cars  of  other  roads  which  have  a  wider  gage  are 
hauled  over  them.  The  gage  of  curves  should  be 
widened  about  l-16th  of  an  inch  per  degree,  and  not 
to  exceed  one  inch  on  any  curve.  But  in  order  not  to 
multiply  the  number  of  gages  or  complicate  their  ad- 
justment, the  width  of  gage,  as  given  in  rule,  is  in- 
creased one-fourth  of  an  inch  for  four  degrees  at  once. 
The  speed  of  trains  as  shown  in  rule  is  a  high  limit, 
and  should  not  be  exceeded,  because  no  matter  how 
good  a  curve  track  is,  the  defects  in  rolling  stock,  the 
length  of  cars  and  wheel  base,  the  manner  of  coup- 
ling cars,  the  fact  that  inside  and  outside  wheels  are 
unable  to  turn  independently  of  each  other,  and  many 


CURVED    TRACK.  183 

other  causes,  all  tend  towards  liability  to  accident,  as 
the  limit  in  degree  of  curvature  is  approached. 

On  railroads  where  the  speed  of  trains  is  not  lim- 
ited the  elevation  may  be  increased  at  the  rate  of 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  per  degree  of  curvature,  as 
high  as  six  degrees,  but  this  should  be  the  maximum 
elevation  except  when  the  curve  is  in  a  sag. 

This  elevation  of  three-fourths  of  an  inch  per  de- 
gree is  best  adapted  to  a  double  track  railroad,  or  one 
where  passenger  trains  run  exclusively  on  one  track. 

ELEVATE  FOR  THE  GREATEST  SPEED. 

8.  I  am  decidedly  of  the  opinion  that  all  curves 
in  track  should  be  elevated  on  outside  rail  to  suit  the 
highest  speed  of  trains  passing  over  that  part  of  the 
track.  To  assume  that  the  speed  of  freight  trains  is 
regulated  by  time  cards  or  rules  is  nonsense.  It  is 
a  notorious  fact  that  freight  trains  instead  of  running 
slower  than  passenger  trains,  do  run  faster  than  the 
average  schedule  time  of  some  passenger  trains,  espe- 
cially when  descending  grades,  trying  to  make  up 
time  or  meeting  points  when  the  train  is  light,  or,  as 
is  often  the  case,  when  they  receive  positive  orders  to 
run  at  an  increased  rate  of  speed. 

The  chief  aim  of  conductors  is  to  make  time;  and 
many  of  them  will  steal  time  at  a  station  where  they 
are  delayed,  if  the  engineer  is  willing,  and  there  is  a 
possibility  of  their  getting  to  the  next  station  on  time 
by  running  faster  than  the  regular  speed  of  freight 
trains  ;  I  have  noticed  that  the  speed  of  all  trains  on 
a  single  track  will  average  running  between  stations 
much  nearer  the  time  of  passenger  trains  than  a  lower 
rate  of  speed,  as  given  by  some  authorities. 


184 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


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CURVED   TRACK.  185 

For  these  and  similar  reasons  I  do  not  think  it  pos- 
sible to  make  any  average  rate  for  speed  of  trains  of 
all  classes  on  a  single  track,  nor  to  make  a  rule  for  the 
elevation  of  curves  which  would  be  anything  like  ac- 
curate, except  on  a  four  track  railroad  where  trains 
always  run  in  one  direction.  Then  the  speed  would 
of  course  be  more  regular.  If  a  curve  requires  a  cer- 
tain elevation  in  order  to  carry  a  train  safely  over  it 
at  a  speed  of  45  or  50  miles  per  hour,  it  does  not  seem 
to  me  to  be  a  reasonable  theory  to  split  the  difference 
and  reduce  the  elevation  because  another  train,  or  a 
majority  of  trains,  will  run  over  the  same  track  at  a 
slower  rate  of  speed.  Keducing  the  elevation  on 
curves  to  suit  the  speed  of  the  slower  running  trains, 
is  equivalent  to  admitting  that  the  same  elevation  is 
enough  for  faster  trains  on  the  same  track,  which  is 
not  the  case,  except  when  the  greater  elevation  was 
excessive.  Regulate  speed  to  suit  the  curve  or  ele- 
vate the  curve  for  the  greatest  speed. 

SHARP  CURVES  AND  ELEVATION. 

9.  It  seems  remarkable  to  me  that  of  all  the  differ- 
ent authorities  on  the  elevation  of  curves  few  have 
seen  fit  to  say  at  what  degree  of  curvature  elevation 
should  stop,  or  when  it  would  be  too  great  for  the 
width  of  the  track.  Various  persons  have  advocated 
elevating  the  outer  rail  on  curves  one-half  inch,  three- 
fourths  of  an  inch,  and  as  high  as  one  inch  and  a 
quarter  per  degree  of  curvature,  while  some  civil  en- 
gineers have  gone  so  far  as  to  make  tables  giving  the 
elevation  of  curves  from  1  up  to  20  degrees  for  differ- 
ent rates  of  speed  of  trains,  carrying  the  elevation 
into  feet  instead  of  inches.  All  of  this  must  seem 
ridiculous  to  any  practical  Trackman,  who  knows  it  is 


186  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

not  safe  to  run  trains  at  such  high  rates  of  speed  on 
very  sharp  curves.  It  seems  as  if  some  writers  were 
too  superficial  in  the  treatment  of  the  subject,  while 
others,  in  their  effort  to  impart  knowledge,  have  over- 
reached themselves.  And  I  believe  these  are  the 
causes  of  the  conflict  and  diversity  of  opinion  among 
railroad  men  of  the  present  day  in  regard  to  the  proper 
elevation  of  curves.  Now  I  maintain  that  the  greatest 
elevation  of  the  outer  rail  on  curves,  no  matter  how 
sharp  they  are,  should  not  exceed  one  inch  to  the  foot 
width  of  track,  because,  when  the  maximum  elevation 
is  reached  of  about  5  inches,  the  curve  is  too  sharp 
for  the  main  track  of  any  railroad  where  it  is  desir- 
able to  make  fast  time.  If  sharper  curves  are  neces- 
sary in  a  yard  or  at  other  places,  the  elevation  should 
be  lessened  instead  of  increased,  because  trains  must 
necessarily  run  slow  at  such  places.  Instead  of  trying 
to  tinker  up  the  elevation  on  very  sharp  curves  on 
the  main  track,  so  that  trains  could  run  around  them, 
the  company  should  at  once  take  such  curves  out  of 
their  track,  or  at  least  reduce  the  curvature  to  a 
minimum. 

There  is  a  good  deal  of  valuable  time  wasted  by 
trains  running  slow  on  sharp  curves,  and  liability  to 
accident  is  much  greater  than  on  straight  track. 

There  is  also  an  immense  amount  of  wear  and  tear 
on  the  rolling  stock  and  track,  especially  the  wheels, 
and  rails,  and  the  amount  of  money  lost  is  so  great  on 
account  of  the  limited  number  of  freight  cars  which 
may  be  hauled  that  the  saving  which  could  be  effec- 
ted in  a  short  time  on  some  railroads  with  a  heavy 
traffic  would  pay  all  the  expense  of  taking  such  curves 
out  of  the  track  when  it  is  possible  to  dispense  with 


CURVED   TRACK.  187 

them.  The  necessity  for  economy  in  the  construction 
of  a  new  road  is  in  most  instances  the  only  excuse  for 
having  sharp  curves  in  the  track.  When  it  is  possi- 
ble, railroad  companies  should  take  out  of  their  main 
track,  as  fast  as  they  can  afford  the  means  for  carry- 
ing on  the  work,  every  curve  which  will  not  admit  of 
running  trains  at  a  speed  of  60  miles  per  hour,  or 
which  will  materially  affect  the  number  of  cars  a  loco- 
motive can  haul.* 

WHEN    SPEED     DOES    NOT   EXCEED   FIFTEEN   MILES   PER 
HOUR. 

10.  On  any  curve  where  the  speed  of  trains  does 
not  exceed  fifteen  miles  per  hour  an  elevation  of  the 
outside  rail  equal  to  the  middle  ordinate  of  a  thirty 
foot  rail  on  the  same  curve  will  be  sufficient. 

RULE: — For  every  degree  of  curve  give  the  outside 
rail  one-fourth  of  an  inch  elevation,  widening  the  gage 
of  track  for  each  degree  as  in  rule  for  elevating  the 
outside  rail  of  curves. 

THE  CURVE  ON   PASSING   TRACK. 

11.  On  curves  where  the  speed  is  less  than  ten 
miles  per  hour,  such  as  those  beyond  the  switch  leads 
on  yard  or  "Y"  tracks,  elevate  the  outside  rails  as 
follows  : 

*  The  opinion  seems  to  be  general  among  the  leading  Trackmen  and 
Engineers  of  the  present  day,  that  the  easement  of  sharp  curves  by  com- 
pounding them  on  the  approach,  so  as  to  have  the  least  amount  of  curva- 
ture next  the  tangent,  and  gradually  Increase  the  degree  up  to  the  middle 
of  the  curve  where  it  should  be  greatest  is  the  best  method  of  securing  a 
good  riding  track  for  trains  which  run  at  hiph  rates  of  speed. 

When  laying  out  reverse  curves  of  one.  two  or  three  degrees,  there  should 
be  left  between  them  not  less  than  60  feet  of  a  level  tangent,  and  this  dis- 
tance should  be  increased  in  proportion  to  the  degree  of  curvature,  either 
side  of  the  tangent  to  enable  Trackmen  to  put  in  a  gradual  approach  to 
each  curve  when  elevating  the  outer  rail. 

Curves  should  not  be  put  in  on  any  railroad  except  where  the  natural 
conditions  are  such  that  their  use  cannot  be  avoided.  Or  where  the  econ- 
omy in  cost  of  construction  is  so  great  that  their  benefits  as  against  disad- 
vantages, can  be  clearly  demonstrated 


188  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

RULE:— Commence  at  one  degree,  giving  ^  inch 
elevation,  and  for  every  degree  of  curve  thereafter  in- 
crease the  elevation  at  the  rate  of  3-16  of  an  inch  to 
the  degree  of  curve,  widening  the  gage  as  in  rule  for 
elevation.  There  should  never  be  any  elevation  in 
the  lead  rails  of  switches  between  the  heel  of  frog  and 
end  of  switch. 

TABLE    OF   ORDINATES. 

12.  The  following  table  showing  how  to  find  the 
degree  of  a  curve  by  the  middle  ordinate,  with  strings 
or  cords  of  different  lengths,  will  be  of  great  value  to 
Section  Foremen  who  have  heretofore  had  no  instruc- 
tion on  this  subject.  The  reason  why  so  many  differ- 
ent lengths  of  cords  are  given  with  the  ordinate  is 
that  the  Foreman  who  desires  to  be  accurate  with  his 
work  may  use  any  of  them  as  circumstances  may 
require. 

Length  of  Cord.  Middle  Ordinate  of  a  One 

Feet.  Degree  Curve. 

20  feet I    inch. 

ork 
30 

44 


FlG.    28. — FOUR-DEGREE   CURVE. 

The  above  illustration,  Fig.  28,  will  show  how  to 
apply  any  of  the  different  lengths  of  string  in  the 
table  of  ordinates  and  to  ascertain  the  degree  of  curve. 


CURVED  TRACK.  189 

HOW  TO  APPLY  IT. 

13.  Draw  a  cord  tight  on  the  inside  of  the  gage 
line  of  the  rails  on  a  curve,  measure  from  the  center 
of  the  cord  to  the  rail.     The  distance  in  inches  divid- 
ed by  the  middle  ordinate  for  that  length  of  cord  as 
shown  in  the  table  will  give  the  degree  of  the  curve. 

COMPOUND   CURVES. 

14.  When  the  greater  degree  of  a  compound  curve 
begins  at  about  the  middle  of  the  curve,  elevate  the 
outside   rail  gradually  from  the  approach  of  curve, 
giving  the  elevation  which  belongs  to  the  greater  de- 
gree, when  you  reach  it.     In  the  same  manner  lessen 
the  elevation  as  you  approach  the  straight  track  at 
the  opposite  end  of  the  curve. 

If  the  greater  degree  is  met  at  the  point  of  curve, 
and  the  curve  terminates  with  a  less  degree,  elevate 
the  outside  rail  for  the  greater  degree  until  you  come 
to  where  it  meets  the  less  degree  ;  then  diminish  the 
elevation  one-half  inch  to  the  rail  length  until  you 
reach  the  elevation  which  properly  belongs  to  the 
less  degree  of  curve,  then  continue  this  elevation  to 
the  opposite  end  or  the  approach  of  the  curve. 

FREQUENT   CHANGES. 

15.  Where  the  changes  are  frequent  and  abrupt 
in  a  compound  curve,  it  is  generally  best  to  elevate 
the  outer  rail  for  the  highest  degree  and  carry  this 
elevation  uniformly  throughout   the   curve.      Never 
change  the  elevation  more  than  one-half  inch  in  rail 
length  in  passing  from  one  degree  of  curve  to  another, 
otherwise  a  swing  or  a  jar  will  be  felt  on  a  train   in 
passing  over  that  place. 


190 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


CUEVE   TRACK   GAGES. 

16.  Section  Fore-men  should  be  provided  with  a 
special  gage  for  gaging  curves,  and  made  in  such  a 
manner   that   when   adjusted  properly  for  work  the 
width   of  gage  could  not   be   accidentally   changed. 
Track  should  be  spiked  accurately. 

LAYING  THE   RAILS  ON   CURVES. 

17.  No  rails  should  ever  be  laid  in  track  and  spiked 
on  any  curve  of  over  two  degrees  without  first  being 
curved  the  proper  shape.     The  middle  ordinate  of  a 
30  foot  rail  is  one-fourth  of  an  inch  on  a  one  degree 
curve  with  very  little  variation  up  to  10  degrees  and  is 
so  nearly  proportionate  to  the  degree  of  curve,  that  it 
can  be  used  as  a  guide  in  curving  rails. 

MIDDLE   ORDINATES    FOR   CURVING    RAILS. 


DEC.  OF    CURVE. 


1... 

2... 

3... 

4... 

5... 

6... 

7... 

8... 

9... 
10... 
11... 
12... 
13.. 
14... 
15... 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20... 


LENGTH  or  RAILS. 


30ft.      28ft.      26ft.      24ft.      22ft 


m 

1 
k 


ill 


sy 


Of 

o% 

01 

IX 

m 

11 


I 
1 


20ft. 


Or5. 
OA 
OA 
Of 

oj 

Of 

OM 

1ft 


1* 


CURVED  TRACK.  191 

TO  CURVE  A  RAIL  PROPERLY. 

18.  Bend  or  curve  the  rail  through  its  entire  length 
until  the  middle  ordinate  of  the  rail  equals  as  many 
quarter  inches  as  there  are  degrees  in  the  curve  for 
which  you  are  preparing  it.    To  ascertain  this,  stretch 
a  string  between  the  extreme  points  of  the   rail  on 
the  gage  side  and  measure  the  distance  from  the  cen- 
ter of  the  string  to  the  gage  side  of  the  rail  at  its 
center.     For  Foremen  who  have  not  had  much  prac- 
tice in  curving  rails  it  is  best  to  also  measure  the 
distance  from  the  string  to  the  rail  at  the  quarters, 
seven  and  one-half  feet  from  the  end  of  a  30  foot  rail, 
and  this  distance  should  be  three  quarters  of  what  it 
is  at  the  center  of  the  rail.     By  measurements  taken 
at  the  quarters  it  is  generally  easy  to  detect  a  kink  in 
the  rail,  which  should  always  be  taken  out.    Rails 
which  have  a  true  curve  will  be  in  their  place  in  the 
track  ready  for  spiking   and   gaging  without   being 
held  or  drawn  to  place  with  the  bar  and  will  not  need 
rail  braces  except  on  very  sharp  curves  laid  with  soft 
wood  ties.     The  more  accurate  the  curve  of  rails,  the 
less  lining  of  track  will  be  needed  afterwards. 

THE   CURVE   APPROACH. 

19.  Where  the  elevation  here  given  is  not  divisible 
envenly  into  half  inches,  elevate  for  the  additional 
fourth  of  nn  inch   at  the  point  of  curve,  just  as  if  it 
were  a  half. inch. 

To  illustrate :  Take  a  three-degree  curve,  elevation 
two  and  one-half  inches,  length  of  approach  on  straight 
line  150  feet  or  five  rail  lengths  from  point  of  curve. 
Elevate  the  first  rail  on  the  straight  line  one-half  inch, 
the  second  one  inch,  the  third  one  and  one-half  inches, 


192  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

the  fourth  two  inches,  and  the  fifth  joint  or  point  of 
curve,  two  and  one-half  inches,  the  full  elevation. 
This  elevation  should  then  be  carried  uniformly  to 
the  other  end  of  the  curve  where  it  should  be  eased 
off  on  the  straight  line  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
approach. 

PRINTED    INFORMATION   FOR   FOREMEN. 

20.  On  all  curves  it  would  be  a  good  policy  to  have 
a  plainly  painted  sign  showing  the  degree  of  the  curve. 
For   the  sake  of  economy  the  information  could  be 
given  on  a  board  secured  to  a  telegraph  pole  near  the 
curve.     There  could  also  be  a  rule  on  the  time  card 
calling  the  attention  of  the  employes,  most  interested, 
to  the  subject.     There  is  no  reason  why  a  Foreman 
placed  in  charge  of  a  piece  of  track  should  not  re- 
ceive all  the  information  relative  thereto  that  it  is 
possible  for  the  railroad  company  to  give  him,  instead 
of  having  to  find  it  out  for  himself  as  best  he  can. 
Printed  information  from  the  Engineering  Depart- 
ment should  supplement  the  Track  Foreman's  other 
instructions  and  in  most  cases  it  would  materially 
assist  in  bettering  the  condition  of  the  road,  and  bring 
more  uniformity  into  the  work.     If    every   Section 
Foreman  was  provided  with  a  little  book  giving  loca- 
tion, degree  and  amount  of  elevation  of  the  outer  rail 
on  the  curves  on  his  section,  together  with  location, 
size   and   number   of   all  culverts   and  bridges,  and 
distance  from  stations,  also  amount  of  snow  fence  on 
cuts,  and  kind  and  quantity  of  rails  laid,  etc.,it  would 
be  placing  the  information  where  it  would  be  of  the 
most  practical  value  to  the  railroad  company. 

GUARD    RAILS   ON   CURVES. 

21.  When  speed  of  trains  exceed  twenty-five  miles 


CURVED   TRACK.  193 

per  hour,  curves  of  ten  degrees  or  over  should  have 
a  guard  rail  inside  the  inner  rail  of  curve.  This 
guard  rail  should  be  spiked  down  on  the  ties  all  the 
way  around  the  curve  and  turn-off  from  the  track  rail 
at  each  end  of  the  curve.  The  space  for  the  wheel 
flanges  between  the  guard  rail  and  track  rail  should 
be  two  inches  wide.  The  extra  width  over  standard 
gage  as  given  in  the  table  for  elevation  of  curves 
should  be  added  where  the  degree  of  curve  makes  it 
necessary  to  widen  the  gage  of  track. 

BETWEEN  REVERSE  CURVES. 

22.  Where    straight    track    between  two  reverse 
curves  is  not  long  enough  to  give  the  outside  rail  the 
required  elevation  before  reaching  the  point  of  either 
curve,   begin  to  elevate  the   outside  rail  at  a  point 
midway  between  the  curves,  and  give  the  first  rail  one- 
half  inch  elevation,  after  which  you  can  increase  the 
elevation  one-half  inch  to  the  rail  length,  or  one  inch 
if  necessary  for  sharp  curves.     When  there  is  a  differ- 
ence of  one  or  more  degrees  in  two  reverse  curves  the 
greater  degree  should   have    the    longer    approach. 
Reverse  curves  should  be  well  surfaced,  and  the  track 
made   as   perfect  as  possible,  and  between  the  ap- 
proaches of  the  reverse  curves  there  ought  to  be  at 
least  60  feet  of  level  track,  where  the  distance  between 
curves  will  allow  it. 

PUTTING   THE    ELEVATION    IN   CURVES. 

23.  If  the  surface  level  of  the  whole  track  through- 
out a  curve  is  good,  and  without  any  sags,  you  can 
give  the  curve  the  proper  elevation  with  one-half  the 
labor  by  only  picking  up  the  low  spots  along  on  the 
inside  rail  of  the  curve  and  raising  the  outside  rail  of 


194  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

the  curve  out  of  a  face  to  give  it  the  required  eleva- 
tion. When  only  the  outside  rail  of  a  curve  is  raised 
up,  always  be  particular  to  get  the  ballast  under  all 
of  the  ties  which  are  raised  out  of  their  old  bed. 
When  dressing  curve  track  between  the  rails  keep  the 
highest  point  of  the  material  a  little  closer  to  the  out- 
side rail  of  the  curve; about  one-fourth  of  the  gage  of 
the  track.  This  allows  most  of  the  water  which  falls 
on  the  track  to  run  off  under  the  inside  rail  of  the 
curve.  If  the  highest  point  of  the  material  used  to 
dress  the  center  of  the  track  is  left  midway  between 
the  rails  as  on  straight  track  any  water  which  falls 
upon  the  track  cannot  readily  run  off  under  the  out- 
side rail  of  a  curve  which  has  three  or  four  inches  of 
elevation,  and  in  many  places  the  track  will  be  seri- 
ously injured  by  water  settling  down  under  the  out- 
side rail  and  between  the  track  ties.  Whenever  you 
raise  only  the  outside  rail  of  a  curve  to  give  it  eleva- 
tion, some  allowance  should  be  made  for  the  track 
settling  on  that  side,  when  the  height  of  the  raise 
exceeds  two  inches.  For  instance,  should  you  raise 
the  outside  rail  of  a  curve  to  give  it  two  and  one-half 
inches  elevation  on  a  dirt  ballasted  track,  without 
having  to  take  up  the  inside  rail,  the  outside  rail 
should  have  an  elevation  of  about  three  inches  all 
around  the  curve  if  the  bed  of  the  track  is  soft  or  the 
fill  narrow. 

RULE    FOR    LINING   CURVES. 

24.  Select  any  part  of  a  curve  track  which  seems 
to  be  in  the  best  line  for  a  distance  of  at  least  60  feet, 
but  do  not  begin  at  the  point  of  a  curve  unless  you 
know  positively  that  the  curve  turns  off  from  the 
straight  track  without  leaving  a  swing  in  the  line. 


CURVED   TRACK.  195 

Set  two  stakes  accurately  in  the  center  of  the  track, 
60  feet  apart,  and  one  in  the  center  of  the  track  at 
the  middle  of  the  60  feet.  These  three  points  are 
shown  in  Fig.  29  by  the  letters  A,  B  and  C.  Now 
stretch  a  cord  tight  from  A  to  C,  and  measure  from 
the  center  of  the  cord  indicated  by  M  to  the  center 
stake,  B.  The  result  should  be  your  guide  as  a  mid- 

e 


FIG.  29. 

The  letters  A  B  C  to  G  are  track  centers  of  a  curve  30  feet  apart;  A  C  is  a 
60-foot  line  with  which  to  ascertain  the  middle  ordinate ;  B  M  shows 
where  the  measurements  should  be  taken  to  find  the  middle  ordinates. 

die  ordinate  for  the  balance  of  the  curve  in  either 
direction  from  where  you  commence  work.  We  will 
suppose  this  middle  ordinate  to  be  four  inches.  You 
next  move  the  cord  30  feet  ahead  in  the  direction  in 
which  you  wish  to  line,  stopping  at  B  with  the  end 
you  had  first  at  A,  and  holding  the  end  of  cord  wrhich 
was  at  G  in  your  hand  until  its  center  is  directly 
opposite  and  distant  just  four  inches  from  the  track 
center,  at  C.  You  may  then  set  track  center  D  at  the 
end  af  the  cord  which  you  hold  in  your  hand.  This 
process  may  be  carried  out  until  you  have  set  track 
centers  for  the  whole  curve. 

Every  stake  set  for  a  track  center  should  be  driven 


196  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

into  the  ground  with  its  inside  face  or  edge  touching 
the  cord,  and  this  side  of  the  stakes  should  be  a 
straight  edge  if  possible,  so  as  to  have  a  uniform  cen- 
ter throughout  the  curve  and  along  the  inside  face  of 
all  the  stakes.  This  will  obviate  the  necessity  for 
using  a  track  to  make  an  accurate  center  on  the 
stakes. 

After  you  nave  set  the  track  centers  for  the  whole 
curve,  procure  a  gage  which  is  square  and  true,  and 
mark  on  the  gage,  with  some  sharp  instrument,  the 
correct  center  between  track  rails  or  middle  of  the 
gage.  Place  this  gage  on  the  track  between  the  rails 
and  over  the  track  center  where  you  wish  to  begin 
lining  the  rails  to  place.  Then  have  your  men  move 
the  track  with  their  lining  bars  until  the  center,  as 
marked  on  the  gage,  comes  directly  over  the  track 
center  on  the  stakes.  Move  the  track  in  this  manner 
at  every  point  where  you  have  set  a  track  center  stake, 
and  then  go  back  over  it  again,  taking  out  any  kinks 
or  other  defects  left  in  the  line,  and  you  will  have  a 
splendid  and  a  true  curve  line  on  your  track,  as  good 
as  if  a  civil  engineer  had  set  your  track  centers  with 
an  instrument. 

Care  should  be  taken  not  to  make  any  mistakes  in 
measuring  the  middle  ordinates,  or  in  setting  the 
track  centers.  It  will  pay  to  take  your  time  and  do 
the  job  well,  because  if  properly  done  (like  well  sur- 
faced track)  it  will  only  need  to  be  retouched  in  spots 
ever  after. 

By  commencing  at  a  rail  joint,  this  method  of 
lining  a  curve  may  also  be  applied  to  the  gage  side 
of  the  rails,  and  any  defects  in  the  track  line  can  be 
taken  out  by  moving  the  rails  to  place  as  you  go,  but 


CURVED    TRACK.  197 

the  work  will  not  be  as  accurate  or  as  reliable  as  by 
the  process  first  given. 

EFFECT   OF    LOCOMOTIVE   AND   CAR    WHEELS    ON    CURVE 
TRACK. 

25.  Car  wheels  which  are  badly  worn  on  the  tread, 
or  close  to  the  flanges,  or  which  have  the  flanges  worn 
sharp,  are  very  unsafe  when  passing  over  switches  if 
there  is  the  slightest  lip  on  the  rails.  They  are  danger- 
ous also  on  battered  rails,  or  going  around  sharp  curves, 
where  they  are  liable  to  climb  the  rails  and  leave  the 
track.  Wheels  of  the  kind  mentioned  have  a  tenden- 
cy to  hug  the  rail  on  their  side  of  the  track,  and  as  a 
consequence  make  a  considerable  wear  along  the  gage 
side  of  the  ball  of  the  rails.  They  also  wear  spots 
along  the  top  surface  of  the  outer  rail  on  curves, 
because  the  circumference  of  the  wheel  being  the 
same  or  worn  smaller  at  the  flange  than  at  the  outside, 
the  wheel  must  slip  a  certain  amount  in  proportion 
to  the  degree  of  curvature,  in  order  to  travel  as  fast 
as  the  wheel  on  the  inside  rail.  When  the  gage  of 
the  track  on  sharp  curves  is  the  same  and  not  wider 
than  the  standard  for  straight  track,  the  car  wheels 
do  not  have  play  enough  to  enlarge  the  circumference 
of  the  wheel  tire  upon  the  outside  rail  of  the  curve, 
and  the  result  is  a  wearing  of  the  top  surface  of  the 
rail  the  same  as  mentioned  above.  When  the  drive 
wheels  of  an  engine  are  allowed  to  run  too  long  with- 
out being  turned  off,  the  groove  worn  in  the  tire  often 
causes  considerable  damage  to  track  before  the  cause 
is  known.  Badly  worn  drive  wheels  break  the  frog 
points  when  passing  over  switches,  and  as  a  general 
rule  the  most  of  the  wear  on  the  rails  on  curve  track 
is  chargeable  to  the  same  source. 


198        THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

ELEVATION   BALANCE. 

26.  On  curve  track  where  there  is  not  enough  ele- 
vation or  the  gage  of  track  is  tight,  the  car  wheels 
wear  off  the  gage  side  of  the  outer  rail,  by  the  wheel 
flanges  crowding  against  it,  and  this  causes  the  track 
to  spread  and  become  unsafe.     If  the  elevation  of  the 
outside  rail  of  a  curve  is  excessive,  the  rails  will  wear 
most  from  the  top  surface  downward  and  on  the  in- 
side rail  of  curve.     It  also  forces  the  inside  rail  below 
the  proper  surface. 

It  does  not  make  the  track  any  safer  for  trains  and 
lessens  the  number  of  freight  cars  that  an  engine  can 
haul  over  them.  Especially  is  this  the  case  when 
the  elevation  is  excessive  on  sharp  curves  at  terminal 
stations  where  trains  run  very  slow. 

LIABILITY   OF    DERAILMENT. 

27.  The  liability  of  accident  to  trains  such  as  the 
derailment  of  locomotives  or  cars  is  much  greater  on 
a  curve  track  than  on  a  straight  track,  and  a  large 
percentage    of   the    accidents   which   do   happen   is 
chargeable  to  the  defects  in  the  rolling  stock  as  well 
as  to  the  defects  in  the  track  itself.     Heavily  loaded 
freight  cars  often  leave  the  track  owing  to  the  failure 
of  a  truck  to  adjust  itself  to  the  curve  of  the  track, 
caused,  perhaps,  by  a  defective  curve  roller,  and  the 
greater  part  of  the  load  resting  upon  one  side  of  the 
truck. 

REDUCED    SPEED. 

28.  Curves  of  ten  degrees  or  more  are  not  common 
on  the  main  line  of  standard  gage  railroads.     When 
they  do  occur  the  speed  of  trains  should  be  reduced 
in  proportion  as  the  degree  of  curve  increases. 


CURVED  TRACK.  199 

CURVE  IN  A  SAG. 

29.  When  a  curve  is  approached  from  both  direc- 
tions by  a  heavy  down  grade  the  speed  of  all  trains 
is  greater  there  than  at  any  other  point  on  the  track, 
and  for  this  reason  it  should  have  all  the  elevation 
necessary  to  carry  trains  safely  at  their  greatest  speed. 
Foremen  should  give  such  a  curve  half  an  inch  more 
elevation  and  an  approach  thirty  feet  longer   than 
the  amounts  stated  in  the  table  for  elevation  of  curves. 

CARE  OF   CURVES. 

30.  The  rails  on  curves  could  be  made  to  wear 
much  longer  if  those  which  showed  signs  of  wear  were 
transferred  to  the  opposite  side  of  track  before  they 
become  badly  worn.     A  depression  of  three-fourths 
of  an  inch  in  the  surface  of  track  on  the  outside  rails, 
or  a  slight  kink  in  a  rail  on  a  curve,  or  a  joint  out  of 
line  or  gage,  will  throw  every  car  in  a  train  heavily  to 
the  opposite  side  of  the  track.     For  this  reason  Track 
Foremen  should  keep  curve  track  in  the  best  condi- 
tion possible. 

LINING   CURVES. 

31.  Some   Foremen   have    a  very  bad    habit  of 
always   lining   the  curves   out.     This  should  not  be 
done.     The  tendency  of  engines  and  cars  is  to  knock 
parts  of  the  curves  towards  the  outside  at  the  weakest 
points.     If  the  Foreman  will  line  towards  the  inside 
of  the  curve  any  points  or  rails  which  project  beyond 
the  true  line  of  curve,  there  will  not  be  any  necessity 
of  increasing  the  curvature  by  lining  so  much  towards 
the  outside. 

STRAIGHT   RAILS   IN  CURVES.  • 

32.  When  iron  or  steel  rails  are  laid  in  curve  track 


200 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


CURVED   TRACK.  201 

without  first  being  curved,  or  just  as  they  come  from  the 
rolling  mill,  the  joints  soon  project  out  of  line,  and 
by  the  knocking  of  the  train  wheels  against  the  joints 
they  are  partly  assisted  to  get  back  to  their  original 
shape,  destroying  the  proper  line  of  curve.  Such 
rails  gives  the  cars  passing  over  them  a  peculiar  side 
motion  which  makes  the  track  appear  very  rough,  no 
matter  how  well  surfaced  it  may  be. 

TRACKLAYING  WHERE  CURVES  A  RE  FREQUENT. 

33.  When  laying  track  where  curves  are  frequent, 
the  writer  uses  blue  print  diagrams,  as  shown  in  Fig. 
30,  to  avoid  confusion  in  forwarding  material  at  the 
front  and  laying  the  track. 

The  line  A  B  represents  the  center  line,  showing  a 
6-degree  curve  to  left,  followed  by  a  tangent  of  452  ft., 
thence  a  5-degree  curve  to  right  compounding  into 
an  8-degree  curve.  The  line  is  to  be  laid  with  30-ft. 
rails  using  29^-ft.  rails  on  the  inside  of  curves  to 
square  joints.  Each  curve  is  marked  with  the  degree 
and  the  total  angle.  Below  the  line  A  B  is  given  the 
lengths  of  the  tangents  and  the  curves  in  feet,  also 
the  station  numbers  of  the  beginning  and  end  of 
curve. 

Above  the  line  AB  is  given  the  number  of  rails  for 
each  tangent,  and  the  number  of  30-ft.  and  29^-ft. 
rails  for  each  curve.  One  29^-ft.  rail  is  laid  for  each 
6  degrees  of  angle  in  the  curve.  The  compound 
curve  contains  a  total  of  48  degrees  of  angle,  requir- 
ing eight  29^-ft.  rails  to  square  the  joints.  At  the 
end  of  each  day's  work  the  station  of  the  end  of  track 
should  be  marked  on  the  diagram. 

In  the  material  yard,  with  the  aid  of  the  diagram, 
the  Foreman  will  know  just  what  kind  of  material  to 


202  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

forward  each  day.  On  the  side  of  each  loaded  car 
the  Foreman  should  nail  a  piece  of  board  or  shingle 
upon  which  is  plainly  written  the  kind  of  material  on 
the  car,  as: 

40  S.  Rails. 

17  C      "  for  6°  Lt.  Sta,  753. 

3  O  29f  ft   " 

The  straight  rails  should  be  separated  from  the 
curved  with  pieces  of  board.  When  laying  with  a 
track-laying  machine  it  is  more  convenient  to  put  the 
29^-ft.  rails  on  the  car  of  trimmings. 

A  diagram  is  given  to  the  Foreman  in  charge  of 
bending  rails.  The  ordinates  of  the  different  curves 
should  be  marked  011  his  sheet. 

At  the  front  the  Foreman  in  charge  of  the  steel 
crew  will  know  at  a  glance  how  many  29^-ft.  rails  are 
to  be  laid  on  the  inside  of  each  curve.  He  should 
endeavor  to  lay  these  at  regular  intervals  throughout 
the  curve.  If  track  is  laid  with  even  joints  on  the 
tangents  and  broken  joints  on  curve,  the  difference 
in  length  between  the  inner  and  outer  rails  of  the 
curve  should  be  marked  on  the  diagram.  The  rail 
should  be  cut  (see  paragraph  6,  page  180)  in  the 
material  yard  and  the  length  of  each  piece  and  the 
station  of  the  curve  to  be  plainly  marked  on  it  so  as 
not  to  delay  work  at  the  front. 

FOREMEN  SHOULD  KNOW  THE  DEGREE. 

34.  Foremen   in   charge   of   curving  rails  should 
know  before  hand  the  degree  of  each  curve  and  the 
number  of  rails  wanted  for  it,  so  as  to  have  no  delay 
in  getting  them  to  the  front  when  called  for. 

A   GOOD   CURVE. 

35.  A   curve  track   is  put  up  properly  when  the 


CURVED    TRACK.  203 

engine  and  all  the  cars  in  a  train  run  smoothly  onto 
the  point  of  a  curve  from  straight  track  without  any 
shock  or  jar  that  would  indicate  there  was  a  change 
in  the  line  or  surface  of  the  track.  All  the  cars  in  a 
train  should  run  around  the  curve  leaning  slightly 
towards  the  inside  rail,  and  not  change  this  position 
perceptibly  until  the  straight  track  is  reached  again 
at  the  opposite  end  of  the  curve.  Above  all  things, 
Foremen  should  keep  the  surface  of  a  curve  track  as 
smooth  as  possible.  In  this  more  than  anything  else 
lies  the  secret  of  having  a  good  riding  track. 

DANGEROUS  CARS  ON  CURVES. 

36.  I  am  fully  convinced  that  it  is  both  a  fool- 
hardy and  dangerous  policy  to  allow  the  cars  from 
any  road  with  a  4  foot  9  inch  gage  to  run  on  a 
standard  gage  road  unless  the  flanges  of  all  wheels 
have  the  same  "clearance"  room  between  them  and  the 
rails  as  is  allowed  for  the  standard  gage  wheels.  The 
Inter-State  Commerce  Commission  reports  for  1889 
show  387  railroads  with  a  mileage  of  28,939  miles  of 
4  foot  9  inch  gage,  while  of  the  standard  gage  there 
is  1,030  roads  operating  114,148  miles  which  shows 
that  with  all  our  boasted  progress  there  is  yet  nearly 
one-fifth  of  the  railroad  mileage  of  the  country  which 
does  not  conform  to  the  standard  gage  although  the 
freight  cars  of  these  roads  are  inter-changeable. 

It  is  a  nortorious  fact  that  the  cars  of  a  railroad 
with  a  4  foot  9  inch  gage  are  the  ones  which  are 
oftenest  derailed  when  running  on  standard  gage 
track  both  on  the  main  track  and  at  switches,  and  on 
curves,  and  when  not  wrecked  or  derailed  they  are 
continually  damaging  the  standard  gage  track  and 
spreading  the  rails  out  of  proper  line  and  gage. 


204  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

Their  wheels  run  more  on  the  flange  than  on  the 
tread  of  the  wheel  and  in  so  doing  soon  make  those 
flanges  very  sharp  and  dangerous,  peeling  and  wear- 
ing away  the  inner  side  of  the  track  rails  and  always 
ready  to  climb  the  outer  rail  on  curves;  they  are  de- 
railed by  the  slightest  lip  on  a  stub  switch,  and 
often  run  foul  of  a  frog  point. 

These  wheels  have  to  be  changed  so  often  that  it 
adds  another  large  item  to  the  cost  of  car  repairs,  and 
if  the  whole  of  the  damage  to  track  and  other  defects 
that  are  chargeable  to  this  ruinous  system  were  sum- 
med up  and  kept  account  of,  we  would  have  an  exhi- 
bition of  one  of  the  most  dangerous  and  expensive 
methods  of  operating  railroads. 

How  often  has  one  of  these  wide  gage  trucks  jump- 
ed the  track  and  wrecked  a  train  on  some  sharp  curve 
without  leaving  a  clew  for  those  who  come  to  investi- 
gate the  cause  of  the  accident?  Probably  the  track 
will  be  torn  up  and  everything  in  confusion  and  some 
person  will  say  that  the  trouble  was  caused  by  spread- 
ing of  the  rails  or  an  improper  adjustment  of  the 
elevation  of  the  outer  rail  on  the  curve  or  something 
else  just  as  far  from  the  truth. 

As  a  remedy  for  the  foregoing,  I  would  suggest 
that  all  standard  gage  railroads  which  inter-change 
traffic  should  make  it  a  rule  to  have  the  wheels  on  all 
cars  received  at  junction  points,  examined  and  tested 
with  a  standard  wheel  gage,  and  those  not  conform- 
ing to  the  proper  specifications  should  be  rigidly 
excluded,  and  wheels  of  a  correct  pattern  should  be 
put  under  the  cars  to  replace  those  which  are  defec- 
tive, the  cost  to  be  charged  up  to  the  company  own- 
ing the  defective  wheels. 


GENERAL  INSTRUCTIONS. 
CHAPTEK  VIII. 

1,  Boarding  Accommodations— 3,  Discharges— 3,  Ride  Over  Your  Section  on 
the  Engine— 4,  Following  Trains— 5,  Accidents— 6,  Go  Over  the  Track— 
7,  Raise  Up  the  Wires— S,  Extremes  of  Temperature— 9,  Track  Jacks- 10, 
The  Spirit  Level— 11,  Surface  Bent  Rails— 12,  Low  Joints— 13,  Examining 
Track— 14,  Scarcity  of  Repair  Rails— 15,  Changing  Battered  Rails— 16, 
Extra  Work— 17,  Train  Accidents— 18,  At  Wrecks— 19,  Water  Stations— 20, 
Trespassers— 21,  Protect  Fences— 22,  Rails  of  Different  Heights— 23,— 
Expansion  Blocks— 24,  Switch  Stands— 25,  Absent  From  Duty— 26,  Emer- 
gency Rails— 27,  Extra  Men— 98,  A  Prompt  Reply— 29,  Get  Acquainted 
With  Tour  Section— 30,  The  Proper  Way— 31,  Working  New  Men— 32, 
Clear  Water  Passages — 33,  Neat  Station  Grounds — 34,  Expansion  at 
Switches— 35,  Look  Over  the  Yard— 36,  Lips  on  Stub  Switches— 37,  Bent 
Switch  Rails— 38,  The  Moving  Rails  of  Stub  Switches— 39,  Battered  Switch 
Rails— 40,  To  Straighten  Rails  in  Track— 41,  Ties  Under  Moving  Rails^2, 
Bent  Splices^S,  Punch  or  Bore  Rails— 44,  Lining  Disconnected  Track— 
45,  Ordering  Tools  or  Material— 46,  Keep  Men's  Time  Correct-^7,  Dupli- 
cate Time  Books— 48,  Track  Material  Account— 19,  Printed  Forms— 50, 
Section  Foremen's  Reports— 51,  Shipping  Track  Tools— 52,  Distance  to 
Set  Out  Danger  Signals— 53,  Always  Keep  Signals  With  You— 54,  Time 
Cards  and  Rules— 55,  Note  of  Flags— 56,  Stops  Signals— 67,  Look  Out  For 
Signals— 58,  Obstructing  the  Track— 59,  Replace  Signals— 60,  Injured  Sig- 
nals—61,  Complying  With  the  Rules— 62,  Location  of  Whistling  Post  and 
Signs— 63,  Train's  Disrespect  of  Danger  Signals— 64,  Look  Out  for  Trains 
—65,  Always  Be  Prepared— 66,  Hand  Car  and  Tool  House— 67,  Telegriiph 
Office  Reports — 68,  Removing  Hand  Cars  from  Crossings — 69,  Throwing 
Switches— 70,  Leaving  Hand  Cars  on  Track — 71,  Loaning  Tools,  Cars, 
etc.— 72,  Different  Varieties  of  Ties— 73,  Care  of  Tools— 74,  Hand  Cars, 
etc.— 75,  Shovels— 76,  Cold  Chisels— 77,  Use  of  Claw  Bars— 78,  Lining 
Bars— 79,  Rail  Punches— 80,  The  Place  for  Tools— 81,  Cutting  Steel— 82, 
The  Ballast  in  Yards^-83,  Execute  Promptly— 84,  Protect  Against  Fires— 
85,  The  Curving  Hook— 86,  Report  Stock  Killed— 87,  Damage  by  Fire— 88, 
Be  Careful  of  Material— 89,  Pick  up  Scattered  Material— 90,  Do  First 
What  Needs  to  be  Done— 91,  How  to  do  Work— 92,  Foremen  on  Duty— 93, 
Adopt  the  Best  Method, 

BOARDING   ACCOMMODATIONS. 

1.    Track  Foremen  should  always  see  about  secur- 


206  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

ing  boarding  accommodations  for  the  men  working  un- 
der them.  Do  not  make  a  favorite  of  any  particular 
house  in  town,  but  select  the  hotel  which  will  give 
the  best  accommodations  the  cheapest. 

The  wages  of  track  laborers  as  a  general  rule  are 
low,  and  very  few  of  these  men  can  pay  their  board 
in  advance.  For  this  reason  the  Foremen  should  see 
that  board  bills  presented  by  hotel  keepers  against 
any  of  their  men  are  properly  signed,  corrected,  and 
sent  into  headquarters  promptly  at  the  end  of  every 
working  month,  and  when  a  man  is  discharged,  if  he 
is  in  debt  for  board,  the  amount  of  his  bill  should  be 
sent  in  with  his  check  to  the  superintendent  to  be 
deducted  therefrom.  By  paying  particular  attention 
to  the  foregoing  instructions,  Track  Foremen  will 
always  be  able  to  more  readily  secure  men  when  wan- 
ted. The  hotel  men  will  not  refuse  to  keep  them,  and 
you  will  save  yourself  and  the  officers  of  the  company 
a  great  deal  of  annoyance  and  useless  correspondence. 
Never  keep  at  work  a  dead  beat  or  an  habitual  drunk- 
ard, and  you  will  materially  assist  in  bettering  the 
condition  and  reputation  of  men  employed  in  the 
track  service. 

DISCHARGES. 

2.  Upon  the  day  on  which  a  man  is  discharged 
the  Foreman  should  make  out  his  time  in  full  on  the 
time  book,  and  write  opposite  his  name  on  the  time 
book,  "discharged,"  or  the  letters  C.  G.,  which  means 
certificate  of  time  given. 

The  Foreman  should  also  fill  out  a  discharge  check, 
using  the  regular  blank  form  for  that  purpose.  The 
man's  name  should  be  written  in  full  on  the  discharge 
check  and  spelled  in  the  same  way  as  on  the  time 


GENERAL   INSTRUCTIONS.  207 

book.  His  occupation,  number  of  days  worked,  and 
amount  due  him  should  also  correspond  with  the  same 
on  the  time  book.  The  discharge  check  should  be 
signed  by  the  Foreman  and  forwarded  to  the  Road- 
master  for  approval.  A  board  bill  should  also  accom- 
pany the  discharge  check  whenever  there  is  any 
deduction  to  be  made  from  a  man's  wages  for  that 
purpose. 

Foremen  should  not  discharge  any  of  their  men 
without  sufficient  cause,  except  when  they  have  re- 
ceived an  order  to  reduce  their  force;  nor  should  a 
Foreman  keep  any  more  men  than  the  regular  force 
allowed  him  without  orders  from  the  Headmaster. 

RIDE  OVER   YOUR   SECTION   ON   THE   ENGINE. 

3.  Section  Foremen  should  take  an  occasional  ride 
over  their  section  either  on  the  engine  or  on  the  back 
platform  of  the  rear  coach  or  caboose  of  a  train;  and 
while  riding  over  the  track  they  should  not  make  a 
pleasure  trip  of  it,  merely,  but  should  watch  closely 
how  the  cars  ride,  and  note  all  the  worst  places  in 
their  sections,  and  note  what  causes  these  places  to 
affect  the  smooth  running  of  the  train.  A  train  run- 
ning at  the  speed  of  45  miles  per  hour  does  not  ride 
as  smoothly  as  a  train  which  only  travels  20  miles  per 
hour  on  the  same  track,  because  the  cars  which  travel 
the  slowest  have  more  time  to  get  righted  after  the 
wheels  meet  with  a  place  out  of  line,  level,  gage  or 
surface,  while  the  fast  trains  may  meet  with,  and  pass 
several  of  these  slight  obstructions  within  a  second 
of  time,  thus  having  no  time  to  regain  its  balance. 
When  a  train  runs  along  smoothly  for  a  distance  and 
suddenly  swings' to  one  side,  if  it  be  on  a  straight  track, 
that  place  is  either  low  on  that  side,  or  is  badly  out 


208  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

of  line  or  gage.  If  the  train  be  on  a  curve,  and  the 
car  swings  heavily  toward  the  higher  rail,  there  is  not 
enough  elevation  in  the  curve  at  that  point.  If  the 
car  swings  toward  the  inside  rail  of  the  curve,  there 
is  too  much  elevation  at  the  outer  rail  at  that  place. 
A  low  joint  on  the  inside  rail  will  cause  the  train  to 
swing  to  that  side,  and  the  striking  of  the  wheel 
flange  against  joints  that  are  hooked  in  out  of  line  on 
the  outer  rail  will  also  throw  the  car  toward  the  inner 
rail.  A  Foreman  can  soon  become  expert  in  distin- 
guishing the  slight  difference  in  the  motion  of  the 
car  as  it  swings  to  either  side  of  the  track,  and  tell  the 
cause  by  examining  the  bad  places  in  the  track  soon 
after  riding  over  it  on  the  train. 

FOLLOWING   TRAINS. 

4.  Track  Foremen  should  not,  at  any  time,  secure 
their  hand  or  push  cars  behind  a  moving  train  to  save 
the  labor  of  pumping  or  pushing  them.    Many  serious 
accidents  have  happened  from  this  cause.     If  a  train 
should  slacken  speed,  or  suddenly  stop,  with  a  hand  car 
attached,  it  would  be  hard  to  prevent  the  car  from 
going  under  the  coach  or  caboose,  and  the  men  on 
the  car  might  be  injured  or  killed. 

ACCIDENTS. 

5.  All  personal  injuries  to  men  working  in  track 
service  should  be  reported  on.  the  proper  blank  form 
by  the  Foreman  to  the  Headmaster,  and  all  accidents 
resulting  in  damage  to  the  railroad  company's  prop- . 
erty  should  also  be  promptly  reported  to  the  Road- 
master.     When  there  are  no  suitable  blank  forms  a 
written  report  should  be  made. 

GO   OVER   THE   TRACK. 

6.  Section  Foremen  should  always,  in  very  stormy 


GENERAL   INSTRUCTIONS.  209 

weather,  go  over  their  sections  and  examine  all  cul- 
verts, bridges  and  other  places  liable  to  wash,  and 
report  condition  of  track  to  Headmaster.  In  going 
over  their  section,  Track  Foremen  should  be  very 
thorough  in  their  examination  of  everything  in  their 
charge.  See  that  the  telegraph  lines  are  in  good 
order;  if  they  are  not,  repair  them  where  you  can, 
and  report  to  Train  Dispatcher  or  Headmaster  any 
defects  that  may  need  the  service  of  the  telegraph 
line  repairer. 

Foremen  should  also  notice  the  condition  of  all 
snow  or  right  of  way  fences,  especially  the  latter,  and 
repair  all  breaks  in  them  as  soon  as  found.  Gates 
left  open  by  farmers  should  be  closed  and  secured. 
Unreliable  men,  or  those  ignorant  of  their  duties, 
should  never  be  detailed  to  patrol  the  track. 

RAISE    UP    THE    WIRES. 

7.  When  telegraph  wires  are  found  down  after  a 
storm,    Section   Foremen    should     hang   them  high 
enough  on  the  poles  to  insure  their  working  properly, 
and  prevent  cattle  or  teams  crossing  the  track  from 
running  against  them. 

EXTREMES   OF    TEMPERATURE. 

8.  Whenever  the  temperature  changes  suddenly 
there   is  always   danger   whether  the  changes  be  to 
extreme   heat    or    extreme    cold.     Section   Foremen 
should  be  very  particular  to  go  over  and  examine  all 
the  track  on  their  sections  to  discover  places  where 
track  has  been  kinked  and  thrown  out  of  line  by  the 
heat,  or  splices  broken  and  rails  pulled  apart  by  the 
extreme  cold.     Foremen  should  remember  that  acci- 
dents of  the  kind  mentioned  are  liable  to  happen  at 
any  point  on  the  road,  even  where  the  rails  seem  to 


210  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

have  the  proper  allowance  for  expansion,  because  the 
change  of  temperature  may  come  on  quickly.  Places 
where  the  ballast  is  light,  or  where  the  track  is  not 
filled  in  between  the  ties,  are  the  most  liable  to  be 
affected. 

TRACK   JACKS. 

9.  Every  Section  Foreman  should  have  a  track 
jack  along  with  his  other  track  tools,  and  he  should 
always  carry  it  with  him  on  the  hand  car,  and  have  it 
ready  to  use  whenever  it  is  necessary  to  raise  track. 

There  are  few  things  that  look  more  ridiculous, 
than  three  or  four  men  making  futile  efforts  to  raise 
a  rail  of  track,  with  a  long  bar  or  track  lever,  and  a 
block  of  wood  which  is  either  too  high  or  too  low. 
The  ingenuity  or  ignorance  of  the  whole  gang  is  dis- 
played a  score  of  times  during  the  day,  whenever  the 
block  will  not  do  to  raise  the  track  to  the  proper 
height,  and  valuable  time  is  lost  in  trying  to  find  a 
stone,  a  chunk  of  wood  or  a  spike  to  increase  the 
leverage,  and  which  is  seldom  or  never  thought  of 
until  the  moment  it  is  wanted.  Sometimes  the  spikes 
are  pulled  out  of  one  or  two  ties  in  every  rail  length, 
and  the  track  is  raised  from  the  top  of  the  ties.  This 
way  also  causes  a  considerable  loss  of  time,  pulling 
the  spikes  and  respiking  the  ties,  besides  the  injury 
done  the  ties,  when  the  old  spike  holes  are  left  open 
to  rot  the  wood.  Raising  track  with  a  lever,  pulls  the 
rails  out  of  line  much  more  than  raising  it  with  a 
jack,  and  makes  it  more  difficult  to  get  back  to  place, 
often  loosening  the  spikes  where  the  ballast  is  heavy, 
and  the  track  is  laid  with  soft  ties. 

A  good  track  jack  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  eco- 
nomical tools  that  can  be  used  on  a  railroad. 


GENERAL  INSTRUCTIONS.  211 

In  order  to  avoid  accidents  when  tracK.  is  being 
raised,  the  track  jack  should  be  set  on  the  outside  of 
the  rails.  In  this  position  the  pilot  of  an  engine,  if 
it  should  strike  the  jack,  will  knock  it  clear  from  the 
rails.  But  there  is  no  necessity  of  using  a  track  jack 
immediately  ahead  of  the  passage  of  trains,  or  when 
they  are  due  at  that  point,  and  the  men  can  be  em- 
ployed at  other  work  for  the  time.  A  track  jack 
placed  inside  the  rails  which  could  not  be  removed  in 
time,  caused  the  derailment  of  a  passenger  train  on 
the  Old  Colony  Railroad  and  ten  persons  were  killed. 

THE   SPIRIT    LEVEL. 

10.  Foremen  should  never  go  out  on  their  sections 
to  pick  up  track  or  surface  it  without  taking  the  spirit 
level  with  them.  It  should  be  used  continually, 
especially  on  track  which  was  never  ballasted,  or 
which  was  surfaced  hurriedly  without  using  a  level. 
Never  listen  to  ignorant  or  conceited  Track  Foremen, 
who  will  tell  you  that  they  can  put  up  as  good  track 
without  using  the  track  level.  It  is  impossible.  If 
you  have  surfaced  a  piece  of  track  to  a  perfect  level, 
then  you  can  sight  the  depressions  in  the  surface 
without  using  the  spirit  level,  when  going  over  it  a 
second  time,  if  the  track  has  not  become  rough. 

It  is  the  rule  more  than  the  exception,  that  where 
a  track  is  newly  laid  and  ballasted  with  dirt,  the  sur- 
facing is  poorly  done,  and  the  spirit  level  seldom  or 
never  used. 

Section  Foremen  in  charge  of  new  track  laid  on 
dirt  should  make  it  their  business  to  improve  the 
line  and  surface  as  fast  as  possible  with  the  force 
allowed  them,  before  the  track  settles,  or  the  dirt 


212  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

becomes  a  solid  mass.     While  the  ties  and  iron  are 
new  is  the  time  to  make  a  good  track. 

SURFACE  BENT   BAILS. 

11.  In  wet  cuts,  or  other  low  places,  the  track  often 
becomes  very  rough,  and  the  ties  sink  into  the  mud 
in  places.  The  rails  then,  if  of  light  weight,  become 
more  or  less  surface  bent  before  the  track  can  be 
raised  up,  or  repaired  properly.  If  the  surface  bent 
rails  cannot  be  replaced  by  good  rails  before  the  track 
is  ballasted  up  they  are  apt  to  cause  the  Section  Fore- 
man much  trouble  in  trying  to  make  them  remain 
in  true  surface,  if  he  does  not  understand  how  to 
straighten  them.  This  can  best  be  done  by  the 
following  method:  If,  for  instance,  a  rail  bows  up  at 
the  quarter  or  the  center,  make  the  ties  solid  at  each 
end  of  the  bent  place,  then  remove  enough  material 
from  under  the  ties,  where  the  rail  is  bent,  so  that  the 
weight  of  an  engine  passing  over  the  rail  will  bend 
the  bowed  place,  just  as  much  below  level,  as  is  then 
above.  After  a  train  goes  over  you  will  generally 
find  the  rail  has  resumed  its  proper  shape  all  right. 
If  the  bend  in  the  rail  is  downward,  hang  the  center 
of  the  bent  place  upon  one  or  more  solid  ties,  accord- 
ing to  the  length  of  the  bend,  and  allow  the  balance 
of  the  track  under  the  rail  to  remain  as  it  was. 
Joints  which  have  been  allowed  to  remain  low  for 
some  time,  often  cause  the  rail  to  become  surface 
bent  in  the  short  quarter,  and  they  are  very  difficult 
to  keep  up  ever  after,  unless  the  kink  is  taken  out  of 
the  rail. 

A  loose  joint  tie,  in  gravel  or  sand  ballast,  will  soon 
pump  out  enough  gravel  to  cause  the  rail  to  bend  a 
short  distance  from  the  end,  unless  it  is  noticed  by 


GENERAL   INSTRUCTIONS.  213 

the  Track  Foreman,  and  taken  care  of  at  once.  When 
the  Track  Foreman  wishes  to  straighten  any  surface 
bent  rails,  he  should  always  signal  the  first  train,  and 
have  it  run  slowly,  because  there  is  danger  of  the 
rails  breaking  where  they  are  not  fully  supported. 
Surface  bent  rails,  which  are  so  bad  that  they  cannot 
be  straightened  while  in  the  track,  may  be  taken  out 
and  fixed  with  the  curving  hook  and  lever. 

LOW  JOINTS. 

12.  When  picking  up  low  joints  in  gravel  or  stone 
ballasted  track,  particularly  where  the  depressions 
are  only  slight,  Track  Foremen  should  always  use 
tamping  bars,  or  tamping  picks,  according  to  the 
nature  of  the  ballast,  to  tamp  up  the  track  ties  to  the 
proper  surface  level. 

There  are  many  things  other  than  a  weak  founda- 
tion which  make  low  joints  in  track.  Loose  bolts  in 
the  joint  fastenings  make  low  joints,  because  they 
allow  the  joints  to  bend  down  under  the  weight  of  the 
engine  and  cars.  Bad  gage  and  line  make  low  joints, 
because  the  cars,  when  trains  run  fast,  are  thrown 
heavily  from  one  side  of  the  track  to  the  opposite, 
and  the  joint  being  the  weakest  point  is  liable  to  be 
affected  the  most.  A  wide  space  between  the  ends 
of  the  track  rail  also  make  low  joints,  and  assists  the 
car  wheels  to  batter  the  ends  of  the  rails. 

When  rails  are  laid  on  soft  wood  ties,  or  when  the 
ties  have  commenced  to  decay,  you  will  generally  find 
that  a  low  joint  is  wide  in  the  gage  between  the  rails. 
Make  low  joints  a  scarce  article  on  your  section  of 
track,  and  you  will  quickly  have  a  good  track,  and  a 
good  reputation  as  a  Track  Foreman. 


214  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

EXAMINING  TRACK. 

13.  When  the  track  rails  on   a  section  become 
badly  worn,  and  need  to  be  repaired  often,  or  when 
the  ground  is  frozen  solid  in  winter,  Section  Foremen 
should  go  over  their  sections  daily,  and  examine  the 
track  thoroughly  for  broken  or  cracked  rails,  remov- 
ing from  track  such  rails,  and  replacing  with  good 
ones. 

It  is  the  duty  of  Foremen  never  to  deviate  from 
this  rule  unless  a  regular  track  walker  is  employed 
for  this  purpose,  or  when  they  have  orders  from  the 
Headmaster  to  the  contrary. 

The  Section  Foreman  is  responsible  for  the  con- 
dition of  the  track  in  his  charge,  and  he  should  do 
everything  in  his  power  to  contribute  to  the  safety 
of  passengers  and  trains  passing  over  it.  Report  all 
broken  rails  to  the  Headmaster  as  soon  as  found, 
giving  brand,  weight,  age,  etc. 

SCARCITY   OF    REPAIR    RAILS. 

14.  When  repair  rails  are  scarce,  and  a  Foreman 
cannot  procure  enough  to  exchange  for  damaged  rails 
in  his  main  track,  he  can  with  only  a  couple  of  extra 
rails  keep  his  track  perfectly  safe  by  commencing  in 
time  to  bring  into  station  the  worst  rails  on  the  main 
track. 

Take  the  extra  rails  out  on  the  section,  if  good  and 
of  the  proper  length,  exchange  them  for  two  battered 
rails,  bring  the  two  battered  rails  into  the  station  and 
put  them  in  the  yard,  or  in  track  some  place  near  the 
station,  and  get  two  more  good  rails.  These  you  take 
out  on  section  as  before,  and  exchange  for  battered 
rails.  In  this  way  a  Foreman  may  exchange  four 


GENERAL   INSTRUCTIONS.  215 

or  five  car  loads  of  rails,  or  about  one  mile  of  iron  or 
steel,  until  he  receives  a  supply  of  repair  rails. 

Battered  rails  are  safer  within  one-half  mile  of  a 
station  at  the  Track  Foreman's  headquarters,  than 
out  on  his  section,  because  trains  run  slower  there. 
Battered  rails  are  less  liable  to  break  near  the  station. 
They  are  also  much  easier  watched,  and  taken  care  of. 
When  repair  rails  are  received  the  battered  rails  can 
all  be  removed  at  once. 

CHANGING  BATTERED  RAILS. 

15.  The  best  method  for  changing  rails  which  have 
become  unfit  for. use  on  the  main  track,  when  the 
rails  furnished  for  repair  are  of  a  different  length 
from  those  in  the  main  track,  is  as  follows: 

Put  in  track  near  the  station  a  string  of  repair  rails, 
and  take  out  rails  of  a  proper  length  to  change  the 
battered  ones  out  on  the  section.  In  order  to  do  this 
right,  and  save  unnecessary  expense  and  labor,  always 
try  to  have  the  number  of  repair  rails  you  put  in 
track  replace  a  greater  or  less  number  of  rails  of  a 
different  length  without  any  cutting.  If  you  have 
not  the  right  number  of  rails  without  cutting  one 
use  a  number  of  rails  that  will  give  the  least  waste. 

EXAMPLE. 

15  26-foot  rails  equal  390  feet. 
13  30-foot  rails  equal  390  feet. 

OR 

7  30-foot  rails  equal  201  feet. 

8  26-foot  rails  equal  208  feet. 

As  will  be  seen  in  the  above  example,  there  are  only 
two  feet  to  be  cut  from  the  last  30-foot  rail  of  the  7  to 
replace  8,  26-foot  rails,  and  for  this  waste  a  Foreman 
should  select  (if  he  has  it)  a  rail  battered  on  the  end, 
that  will  give  the  required  28  feet  of  good  rail. 


216  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

EXTRA  WORK. 

16.  It  is  customary  on  most  railroads  to  call  upon 
the  Trackmen  to  do  extra  work  occasionally,  such  as 
assisting  the  telegraph  line  repairer,  the  bridge  car ' 
penters,  pump  repairers,  etc.,  whenever  these  gangs 
cannot  well  perform  the  work  alone,  or  when  a  suffi- 
cient force  of  men   cannot  be   procured   to  do   the 
necessary  work. 

Track  Foremen  should  not  assist  with  their  men 
at  any  kind  of  extra  work  without  orders  from  the 
Roadmaster.  When  such  orders  are  received  the 
Track  Foreman  should  only  give  the  amount  of  help 
required,  using  all  of  his  men  or  only  part,  as  is 
necessary.  Never  employ  all  of  your  force  when  a 
less  number  of  men  could  do  the  work  as  well,  unless 
your  orders  require  it.  Charge  accurately  on  the 
work  journal,  and  to  the  department  to  which  it 
belongs,  all  extra  work  performed  by  your  men  during 
the  month.  Whenever  you  do  any  extra  work,  for 
which  there  is  no  printed  heading  on  the  work  journal, 
put  down  the  time  in  some  column  which  you  are 
likely  not  to  have  any  occasion  to  use  for  the  work 
specified  in  it,  and  state,  in  writing  in  the  same 
column  where  you  put  the  time,  what  the  labor  was. 

TRAIN    ACCIDENTS. 

17.  In  case  of  an  accident  to  a  train,  the  Section 
Foreman  who  is  called  should  take  his  men  and  tools 
and  go  to  the  place,  no  matter  whether  it  is  on  his 
section  or  not,  and  giv-e  all  the  assistance   possible. 
Foremen  should  obey  the  conductor  of  the  train,  and 
work  under  his  instructions  until  the  arrival  of   the 
Roadmaster,    or    until    they    receive    other    orders. 


GENERAL   INSTRUCTIONS.  217 

Section  Foremen  should  not  wait  for  orders  from 
their  Koadmaster  to  do  any  extra  work  which  they 
know  to  be  absolutely  necessary,  but  should  do  the 
work  at  once,  and  remain  out  with  their  men  until 
everything  is  safe.  If  a  Foreman  is  notified  by  train- 
men or  others  of  something  wrong  on  a  section  adjoin- 
ing his  own,  such  as  a  broken  rail,  a  fire  along  the 
right  of  way,  or  the  telegraph  wires  broken  or  down,  he 
should  make  all  possible  speed  to  get  to  the  place  of 
danger  without  questioning  his  right  to  go,  because  it 
may  not  be  possible  to  notify  the  proper  Foreman, 
and  any  delay  may  cause  the  company  considerable 
loss. 

AT    WRECKS. 

*  18.  Whenever  there  is  a  wreck  on  the  road,  the 
Foreman  on  whose  section  the  accident  happens, 
should  keep  an  accurate  account  of  the  labor  and 
material  expended  in  repairing  the  damage  done  to 
the  track.  This  account,  together  with  the  one  of  the 
damage  done  to  rails,  ties,  spikes,  bolts,  or  to  the  grade, 
should  be  put  in  the  form  of  a  report,  and  properly 
sent  to  the  Headmaster  immediately  after  the  track 
is  repaired.  Time  of  men  working  at  a  wreck  should 
be  charged  to  that  account  on  the  work  journal. 

WATER    STATIONS. 

19.  At  all  the  water  stations  the  Section  Foreman 
should  note  the  amount  of  water  in  tanks  when  pass- 
ing, and  where  wind  engines  do  the  pumping,  they 
should  be  oiled  often,  and  any  defects  in  them  or  the 
pumps  should  be  repaired,  if  possible,  or  reported  by 
telegraph  to  the  person  in  charge  of  such  work.  Sec- 
tion Foremen  and  their  men  should  pump  water  into 


218  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

the  tanks  whenever  the  wind  engine  fails  to  supply 
enough  for  trains.  When  it  is  necessary  to  pump  by 
hand,  Foremen  should  commence  to  pump  before 
there  is  any  danger  of  the  supply  in  the  tank  being 
exhausted.  Where  steam  pumps  are  to  furnish  the 
water  for  trains,  Section  Foremen  should  assist  the 
man  in  charge  to  do  any  necessary  repairing  which 
he  cannot  do  alone.  Section  Foremen  should  always 
be  ready  and  willing  to  get  out  their  men  day  or  night, 
to  do  work  where  their  services  would  be  valuable  to 
the  company. 

TRESPASSERS. 

20.  Foremen  should  see  that  no  person  is  allowed 
to  erect  dwellings,  stables  or  other  buildings  within 
the  limits  of  the  railroad  company's  right  of  way,  or 
in    any    other   manner    trespass   on    the    company's 
property,  without  permission  from  the  Roadmaster  or 
Superintendent. 

PROTECT   FENCES. 

21.  When  burning  grass,  weeds  or  other  material 
along  the  right  of  way,  Foremen  should  be  very  care- 
ful and  protect  the  fence  from  fire.     Never  go  away 
from  a  place  where  you  have  been  burning  rubbish, 
and  leave  any  fire  behind  you,  no  matter  how  small 
the  fire,  or  how  harmless  it  may  appear.     It  is  always 
dangerous  until    extinguished.     If  part  of  a  fence 
should  accidentally  be  burned,  or  destroyed  from  any 
cause,  the  damage  should  be  reported  at  once  to  the 
Roadmaster,   giving  a   correct  list   of  the  property 
destroyed,  and  location  of  same,  so  that  material  to 
repair  the  damage  can  be  sent  there  promptly. 

RAILS   OF    DIFFERENT    HEIGHTS. 

22.  All  rails  of  different  heights,  where  they  meet 


GENERAL   INSTRUCTIONS.  219 

at  a  joint,  should  be  connected  with  a  step  splice,  and 
an  iron  shim  should  be  put  under  the  base  of  the  low 
rail  to  give  an  equal  bearing  with  the  high  rail.  The 
iron  shim  should  have  slots  punched  in  the  sides  so 
that  spikes  can  be  driven  in  to  keep  it  secured  in 
place. 

EXPANSION   BLOCKS. 

23.  When  it  is  necessary  to  use  short  pieces  of  rail, 
called   expansion  blocks,   to  close  up  an  open  joint 
between  the  ends  of  two  rails,  the  holes  in  one  end  of 
the  splices  should  be  lengthened  so  that  the  joint  can 
be  full  bolted  and  properly  secured.     The  expansion 
block  in  a  joint  should  always  rest  on  the  center  of  a 
sound  tie. 

SWITCH   STANDS. 

24.  All  switch  stand  targets  should  show  blind, 
when  locked   on   the  main  track,  also  on  all  tracks 
running  parallel  to  the  main  track,  when  connected 
at  both  ends.     The  switch  target  should  show  the  red 
signal  for  an  open  switch  when  thrown  for  a  spur 
track,  and  the  switch  should  be  thrown  back  to  posi- 
tion on  the  through  track,  and  kept  locked,  except 
when  the  spur  track  is  in  use. 

ABSENT   FROM   DUTY. 

25.  Track  Foremen  should  never  be  absent  from 
duty,  unless  by  permission  from  their  Headmaster, 
except  in  case  of  sickness  or  from  some  other  unavoid- 
able cause,  and  in  such  cases  the  Headmaster  should 
be  notified  immediately. 

EMERGENCY    RAILS. 

26.  When  it  is  possible  to  avoid  it,  I  would  recom- 
mend that  Track  Foremen  leave  neither  track  material 


220  THE  TKACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

nor  tools  out  along  their  sections  over  night.  But 
on  roads  where  snow  troubles  in  the  winter  time,  and 
Section  Foremen  have  long  sections,  it  is  a  good 
policy  to  have  repair  rails,  with  splices  bolted  to  them, 
placed  at  convenient  distances,  one  or  two  miles 
apart,  along  the  section,  where  they  can  be  easily 
reached.  These  rails  can  be  used  in  case  of  emer- 
gency to  replace  a  broken  rail  in  the  track,  and  the 
splices  will  also  be  handy  to  replace  broken  ones, 
without  the  necessity  of  going  perhaps  several  miles 
through  snow  drifts,  back  to  the  station,  for  the 
material  wanted.  To  prevent  the  rails  or  splices  from 
being  covered  with  snow,  they  should  be  secured  on 
posts  set  with  their  top  two  or  three  feet  above  the 
surface  of  the  ground. 

The  condition  of  the  rails  as  to  wear  should  decide 
the  number  of  emergency  rails  to  be  distributed  along 
the  track.  Of  course,  where  the  rails  in  the  track  are 
badly  worn,  and  broken  rails  are  common,  the  number 
of  emergency  rails  should  be  more  numerous  than 
where  the  track  is  newly  laid,  and  the  rails  not  much 
worn. 

EXTRA    MEN. 

27.  When  you  are  about  to  have  an  extra  force  of 
men,  larger  than  you  have  been  used  to  working,  take 
a  little  time  to  plan  how  you  will  distribute  the  men 
to  accomplish  the  most  good.     Organization  is  one- 
half  the  work. 

A    PROMPT    REPLY. 

28.  Whenever  you  receive  a  message  from  your 
Roadmaster,  which  requires  an  answer,  don't  wait  or 
delay,  but  answer  it  promptly  and  correctly. 


GENERAL    INSTRUCTIONS.  2Zl 

GET   ACQUAINTED    WITH    YOUR    SECTION. 

29.  Every   Section   Foreman,   as  soon  as  he   has 
been   appointed  to  take  charge  of  a  section,  should 
make  himself  thoroughly  acquainted  with  every  part 
of  the  piece  of  road  in  his  charge.    Get  the  numbers 
of  all  the  bridges  and  culverts  on  your  section,  and 
the  distance  from  the  station  north,   south,  east   or 
west.     Get  the  brand  of  iron  or  steel  and    if    it  is 
of  different  makes  get  the  amount  of  each,  and  find 
when  it  was  laid,  also  the  length  and  kind  of  iron  in 
your  side  tracks,  number  of  panels  of  snow  fence  on 
your   section,  height   of   bridges   from    the   ground, 
number  of  public  crossings,   signs,   etc.     Keep  this 
account  where  it  will  be  handy  to  refer  to  at  any  time, 
and  keep  it  corrected  from  time  to  time.     By  doing 
this  you  will  be  able  to  answer  any  questions  asked 
by  officials  of  the  road  about  any  part  of  your  section, 
and  in  case  of  a  wreck  or  washoilt,  you  will  be  able 
to  locate  the  place  at  a  moment's  notice,  and  give  a 
close    estimate  of  the  kind  and  amount  of  material 
necessary  for  repairs,  in  case  of  damage  to  track. 

THE    PROPER    WAY. 

30.  Find  out  from  your    Headmaster  the  correct 
way  of  keeping  your  time,  and  filling  out  any  other 
monthly  reports  that  you  have  to  send  in  to  his  office, 
and  make  them  out  as  directed  by  him.     You  may 
have  a  printed  form  of  some  kind  to  fill  out.    Answer 
what  is  asked  in  the  headings   on   form,   but   never 
omit  or  add  anything. 

WORKING    NEW    MEN. 

31.  If  it  is  necessary  to  work  new  men  on  your 
section,  who  have  never  worked  on  track  before,  do 


222  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

not  lose  your  patience  if  they  are  a  little  awkward  in 
doing  the  work.  If  you  can  do  so,  pair  these  men 
with  older  hands.  Take  a  little  trouble  to  show  them 
how  you  want  the  work  done,  in  a  manner  that  will 
give  them  confidence,  and  in  most  cases  you  will 
accomplish  more  good  than  by  using  the  blow-and-blus- 
ter  method  so  common  with  some  Foremen.  Remem- 
ber you  needed  instructions  once  yourself. 

CLEAR   WATER   PASSAGES. 

32  No  vegetable  matter,  grass,  etc.,  should  ever 
be  allowed  to  accumulate  under  bridges,  or  near  the 
mouth  of  culverts,  or  any  other  material  that  would 
be  liable  to  catch  fire  easily,  or  stop  the  passage  of 
water. 

NEAT   STATION. 

33.  Section  Foremen  should  keep  the  station 
grounds  clean  and.  neat,  and  all  track  material  should 
be  piled  up  in  several  lots.  There  should  be  no  dis- 
order; there  should  be  a  place  for  everything,  and 
everything  in  its  place.  All  stray  links  and  coupling 
pins  that  are  fit  to  use,  should  be  picked  up,  and  left 
where  they  will  be  handy  for  trainmen  when  wanted. 
All  of  the  station  grounds  not  occupied  by  tracks,  or 
covered  with  ballast,  should  be  allowed  to  grow  up  in 
tame  grasses.  Such  plots  should  be  kept  nicely 
trimmed  around  the  sides  and  ends,  with  a  view  to 
having  them  of  a  regular  form,  and  they  should  be 
lined  parallel  with  adjoining  tracks.  No  rubbish  of 
any  kind  should  ever  be  allowed  to  accumulate  upon 
tracks,  or  on  the  ground  close  to  buildings.  It  should 
be  taken  away  and  dumped  into  places  which  need 
filling.  Section  Foremen  should  not  spend  too  much 


GENERAL    INSTRUCTIONS.  223 

time  working  around  the  station,  but  do  what  work  is 
required  there  when  other  track  work  is  not  pressing, 
or  when  the  weather  or  extra  jobs  interfere,  and  take 
up  so  much  of  the  day  that  it  would  not  pay  to  go 
out  on  the  section. 

EXPANSION   AT   SWITCHES. 

84.  Many  Section  Foremen,  where  stub  switches 
are  used,  cut  the  ends  off  the  moving  rails,  sometimes 
spending  considerable  time  on  a  hot  day  trying  to 
cut  the  end  of  a  rail  off  without  taking  up  the  rail. 
Others  do  a  little  better  and  take  off  the  cross  rods  to 
cut  the  rail. 

Now,  instead  of  interfering  with  the  moving  rails, 
it  is  a  much  better  way  to  cut  the  next  two  rails  back 
of  them,  and  control  expansion  there.  It  will  save 
lots  of  time  and  hard  labor  on  a  hot  day,  when  it  is 
necessary  to  do  such  work.  Cut  off  the  ends  of  the 
rails  mentioned  from  the  first  bolt  hole.  This  will 
give  a  space  of  about  three  inches  for  expansion. 
Bore  a  new  hole  in  the  rails  which  were  cut,  put  on 
the  joint  fastenings  leaving  an  opening  at  the  head 
chair  joint  of  not  more  than  one-half  inch,  then  loosen 
the  bolts  on  three  or  four  joints  further  back,  and 
open  them  sufficiently  to  take  up  all  of  the  space 
except  what  is  needed  in  the  head  chair  joint  for  the 
rails  to  move  easily.  The  open  joints  back  of  the 
moving  rails  can  be  closed  whenever  the  switch 
becomes  tight,  and  in  most  cases  the  one  cutting  of 
rails  at  a  switch  will  do  for  a  whole  season. 

LOOK   OVER    THE    YARD. 

35.  Yard  Track  Foremen  should  look  over  the 
whole  yard  every  morning,  and  see  that  all  switches 


224  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

are  all  right,  and  nothing  is  wrong,  before  going  to 
work  for  the  day  at  some  particular  place. 

LIPS  ON  STUB   SWITCHES. 

36.  On  a  road  where  stub  switches  are   used,  a 
Foreman  should  see  that  no  lips  form   where  the 
moving  and  lead  rails  meet;  and  that  the  track  lines  are 
true,  no  matter  which  way  the  switch  is  turned.     To 
guard  against  having  lips  on  the  rails  of  stub  switches 
where  they  meet  in  the  head  chair,   the  head  rods  on 
the  ends  of  moving   rails  should  fit  as  tight  as  they 
can  be  driver,  on.    No  lost   motion  should  ever   be 
allowed   to  get  in   any  switch   connection.     Switch 
stands  should  be  bolted  to  the  head  block. 

BENT   SWITCH    KAILS. 

37.  Brakemen,   when  in  a  hurry,  often  pull  the 
switch  lever  over  before  the  trucks  of  the  last  car  of 
a  train  are  off  the  moving  rails   of  a   switch.     This 
makes  a  kink  or  bends  the  rails  out  of  line,  besides, 
it  often  forms  a  lip  at  the  joint  in  the  head  chair. 
The  quickest  way  to  fix  a  pair  of  moving  rails,  that 
have  become  bent  as  above  stated,  is  to  take  out  one 
of  the  rails  and  turn  it  end  for  end.     This  makes  the 
bow   pull   in  opposite  directions,  and  in  most  cases 
will  keep  a  switch  all  right  until  it  can  be  repaired, 
or  new  rails  put  in.     When  the  bend  in  moving  rails 
is  toward  the  side  of  track  from  which  switch  turns 
off,  drive  a  stake  at  the  ends  of  a  couple  of  ties  oppo- 
site the  bent  place  in  the  rails,  and  drive  spikes  in 
these  ties  outside  the  bend  part  of  rails  to  keep  them 
in  line.     This  will  do  temporarily  when  you  have  not 
the  time  to  straighten  the  rails. 


GENERAL   INSTRUCTIONS.  225 

THE   MOVING   RAILS  OF   STUB   SWITCHES. 

38.  The   moving   rails   of    stub   switches  should 
never  be  cut  except  when  battered.    The  best  method 
of  keeping  the  moving  rails  in  good  condition  is  to 
have  them  of  the  correct  length,  and  to  keep  the  joints 
in   the   head  chairs  just  open  enough   so   that   the 
switch  can  be  thrown  easily  in  warm  weather.    When 
the  rails  begin  to  contract  in  cold  weather,  a  pair  of 
extension  splices  can  be  put  on  the  connected  ends 
of  the  moving  rails,  which  will  admit  of  expansion 
blocks  of  the  proper  size  being  put  between  the  rails 
to  fill  up  the  space  left  by  contraction.     Short  pieces 
of  splices  bolted  on  the  ends  of  the  moving  rails, 
where  they  come  into  the  head  chairs,  will  assist  in 
making  the  ends  of  the  rails  wear  much  longer  with- 
out becoming  battered;  they  should  also  be  on   the 
lead  and  main  track  rails  where  they  meet  the  mov- 
ing rails  on  the  head  chair. 

BATTHKED    SWITCH    RAILS. 

39.  Never   take   out   one   rail   in   a   stub   switch. 
When  it  becomes  badly  battered  on  the  end,  always 
take  out  at  the  same  time  the  rails  which  meet  it  in 
the  head  chair.     A  good  rail  put  in,  and  meeting  a 
battered  one,  will  soon  be  as  bad  as  the  one  battered. 

TO   STRAIGHTEN    RAILS    IN   TRACK. 

40.  To  straighten  a  kinky  rail  or  one  bent  laterally 
without  taking  it  out  of  track  is  not  a  very  difficult 
matter  when  a  Trackman  understands  how  to  do  it. 
Double  spike  a  tie  at    each  end  of  the  bend  in  the 
rail  and  at  the  same  points  have  one  of  the  men  drive 
a  lining  bar  firmly  in  the  ground  and  hold  it  tight 
against  the  rail.    Then  with  a  chisel  nick  the  flange  of 


226  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

the  rail,  on  the  outside  of  the  bent  place  to  weaken  it 
and  you  can  then  straighten  the  rail  perfectly  with  a 
few  good  strong  blows  from  a  spike  maul.  Always 
strike  the  flange  of  the  rail  oftener  than  the  top  of  it, 
as  it  is  the  most  difficult  part  to  bend,  and  to  prevent 
cutting  off  the  maul  handle,  if  you  strike  and  miss  the 
flange,  slip  a  piece  of  a  board  or  plank  in  between  the 
ties,  and  let  it  lay  about  one-half  inch  below  the  base 
of  the  rail. 

This  little  trick  of  the  trade  will  save  Trackmen 
much  annoyance  where  they  are  troubled  by  kinky 
rails  and  enable  them  to  keep  a  good  line  and  gage 
on  track. 

TIES   UNDER   MOVING   RAILS. 

41.  The  ties  under  the  moving  rails  should  be  oak, 
sawed  ties  if  possible,  and  as  close  together  as  they 
can  well  be  tamped.    None  should  be  farther  apart 
than  8  inches,  and  where  a  switch  rod  comes  the  ties 
should  be  closed  up  to  within  tw,o  and  one-half  or 
three  inches  of  each  other.     This  will  keep  switch 
rods  in  place.     The  object  in  having  the  ties  close 
together  under  the  moving  rails  is  to  keep  the  rails 
up  to  surface,  and  the  cross  rods  square  across  the 
track  in  place;  and  in  case  of  the  trucks  of  a  car  or 
engine    getting   off    the   track    at   a   switch,    which 
happens  oftener  there  than  at  any  other  place  on  a 
railroad,  the  ties  being  close  together  will  support  the 
wheels  from  sinking  between  them,  and  car  or  engine 
can  more  easily  and  quickly  be  put  back  on  the  track 
without  danger  of  bending  the  tie  rods. 

BENT   SPLICES. 

42.  When  a  Foreman  receives  old  iron  or  steel  for 


GENERAL    INSTRUCTIONS.  227 

repairs  he  should  always  examine  the  splices,  espec- 
ially angle  bar  splices,  and  if  they  are  bent  in  the 
center  he  should  not  use  them  again  without  straight- 
ening them. 

PUNCH  OR  BORE  THE  RAILS. 

43.  When   cutting  old  iron  or  steel  for  repairs, 
always  punch  or  bore  holes  for  two  bolts  in  the  cut 
ends  of  the  rails.     Do  not  put  on  splices  with  bolts 
only  in  one  end,  or  with  less  than  the  full  number 
used  in  a  joint. 

LINING  DISCONNECTED '  TRACK. 

44.  Foremen   when    lining   track   that   has   been 
washed  out,  or  that  has  been  disconnected  at  one  end 
should  never  commence  lining  from  the  disconnected 
end.     Always  commence  to  line  track  from  the  end 
that  is   connected,    and   nearest   to   line,  and   work 
towards  the  end  that  is  disconnected,  and  when  you 
have  moved  it  once,  begin  to  line  as  before. 

The  writer  has  on  several  occasions  seen  Foremen 
with  a  large  gang  of  men  spend  several  hours  of  val- 
uable time  at  a  washout,  in  a  fruitless  attempt  to  bring 
into  line  the  tail  end  of  a  piece  of  track,  and  when  the 
men  could  not  throw  it,  cut  it  into  rail  lengths  and 
carry  into  place.  This  could  have  been  avoided  if 
track  had  been  lined  in  the  way  stated  above. 

ORDERING  TOOLS  OR  MATERIAL. 

45.  Track  Foremen,  when  ordering  tools  or  mater- 
ial for  use  on  the  track  in  their  charge,  should  not 
make  requisition  for  more  than  the  amount  necessary 
of  either  kind.     A  surplus  of  tools  or  track  material 
on  hand,  which  there  is  no  prospect  of  putting  in 


228  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

service  soon,  represents  their  value  in  cash  lying  idle 
or  going  to  waste. 

KEEP    MEN'S    TIME   CORRECTLY. 

46.  It  is  a  notable  fact  that  the  best  Track  Fore- 
men keep  the  time  of  their  men  and  other  accounts 
correctly,  and  do  everything,  as  the  saying  goes,  "in 
ship  shape,"  while  the  reverse  can  only  be  said  of 
Foremen  who  are  careless  or  slovenly.     The  want  of 
an  education  is  only  an  excuse,  and  a  Foreman,  by 
devoting  a  little  of  his  time  evenings  to  study,  can 
soon  write  a  good  hand,  and  learn  enough  of  figures 
to  do  all  that  is  required  of  him  while  in  the  position 
of  Track  Foreman. 

DUPLICATE    TIME   BOOKS. 

47.  All  Track  Foremen  should  carry  with  them  a 
duplicate  time  book,  and  note  on  the  same  day  any 
loss  of  time,  or  time  earned  by  any  of  the  men  work- 
ing under  them.     Keep  a  journal   of  the  work  per- 
formed by  them  each  day,  always  charging  the  proper 
number  of  days  labor  done  by  each  of  them  at  each 
separate  kind  of  work.    This  record  of  time  and  work 
performed  should  be  transferred  at  the  end  of  each 
day  to  the  regular   time  book  and  journal  of  work, 
which   is  sent  to  headquarters   at  the   end   of  each 
month. 

By  following  above  instructions,  a  Foreman  will 
avoid  making  any  mistakes,  and  will  also  be  able  to 
refer  back  to  the  time  of  his  men,  the  kind  of  work 
done,  and  date  of  same,  whenever  called  upon  for  in- 
formation by  his  superior  officers. 

TRACK    MATERIAL    ACCOUNT. 

48.  When  Foremen  receive  track  material  of  any 


GENERAL   INSTRUCTIONS.  229 

kind,  and  it  is  loaded  on  cars  or  unloaded  from  cars 
by  them,  they  should  check  over  everything  carefully 
and  count  the  pieces,  number  of  rails,  ties,  etc.;  also 
note  the  brand  or  quality  of  the  same,  and  take  the 
number  of  the  car.  Keep  this  with  your  other  ac- 
counts, no  matter  whether  you  have  orders  to  do  so  or 
not,  as  you  may  be  asked  to  give  information  on  the 
subject  a  month  later. 

PRINTED    FORMS. 

49.  Track  Foremen  should  read  and  thoroughly 
understand  the  printed  instructions  on  all  blank 
forms  which  the  railroad  company  requires  them  to 
use,  when  making  their  reports.  Many  Foremen  are 
too  careless  in  this  matter,  often  omitting  to  put  down 
the  answers  to  printed  questions  which  it  is  almost 
impossible  for  them  to  miss  seeing  when  filling  out 
the  form.  Occasionally  a  Foreman  will  put  on  his 
work  journal  the  number  of  ties  received  during  the 
month,  and  at  the  same  time  fail  to  give  the  number 
of  ties  used  during  the  month,  or  the  number  on  hand; 
while  the  latter  questions  are  there  on  the  journal, 
as  well  as  the  question,  "how  many  ties  received." 
Then  the  Headmaster  must  write  him  a  letter  a 
second  time  and  instruct  him  what  he  should  do  and 
wait  for  an  answer.  It  is  just  likely  that  the  Foreman 
spoken  of  above  will  be  changing  a  rail  in  a  side  track, 
or  doing  some  other  kind  of  work,  which  could  be  put 
off  or  delayed  without  danger,  for  a  week  or  two, 
when  at  that  time  he  should  have  been  examining  his 
track  after  a  heavy  storm. 

He  has  carried  a  time  card  in  his  pocket  for  months 
perhaps,  and  never  informed  himself  that  there  was  a 
rule  on  that  time  card  which  required  himself  and 


230  THE  TBACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

men  to  be  out  and  examine  the  track  on  his  section 
in  stormy  weather.  Foremen  of  the  kind  mentioned 
do  not  hold  a  position  long  under  any  Roadmaster, 
because  they  are  not  reliable;  they  need  to  be  watched 
too  closely  and  instructed  too  often  in  their  duties. 

SECTION  FOREMEN'S  REPORTS. 

50.  There  is  hardly  a  single  railway  company  now 
in  this  country  which  does  not  furnish^  its  Foremen 
printed  blanks  for  whatever  reports  they  may  be  call- 
ed upon  to  make.     These  blanks  are  generally  made 
as  simple  as  consistent  with  the  nature  of  the  report, 
and  the  Foreman  should  study  carefully  the  headings 
and  printed  instructions  which  will  enable  him  to  fill 
them  out  properly.     It  is  most  important  that  such 
statements  are  made  at  the  proper  time,  that  all  entries 
are  strictly  correct  and  that  they  are  made  as  concise 
as  possible  and  in  a  legible  manner.     When  such  re- 
ports are  completed  they  should  be  mailed  to  the  prop- 
er officer.     In  regard  to  monthly  statements  of  tools 
and  materials  received  and  used  Foremen  will  find  it 
greatly  to  their  interests  if  they  retain  a  copy,  of  what- 
ever they  reported  on  hand  the  last  of  the  month,  so 
as  to  be  able  to  fill  the  report  for  the  succeeding  month 
correctly.     In  fact  it  is  advisable  that  each  Foreman 
keep  a  little  book  wherein  he  can  note  down  all  items 
of  interest  occuring  on  his  section  pertaining  to  the 
operation  of  the  road.     Such  memoranda  have  often 
proven  to  be  of  great  value  to  railway  companies ;  be- 
sides that  it  enables  Foremen  to  make  out  duplicate 
reports  in  case  the  original  has  been  lost  or  destroyed. 

SHIPPING   TRACK    TOOLS. 

51.  Track  Foremen,  when  shipping  tools  or  send- 


GENERAL    INSTRUCTIONS.  231 

ing  them  to  the  repair  shops,  should  always  be  par- 
ticular to  secure  them  in  a  neat  package,  so  that  it 
would  not  be  possible  for  any  of  them  to  be  become 
separated  or  lost  while  in  transit.  The  name  and 
address  of  the  repair  shop  foreman  should  be  written 
plainly  on  the  face  of  the  shipping  tag;  on  the  back 
of  the  same  tag,  the  Foreman  should  write  his  own 
name  and  address,  together  with  a  request  that  the 
tools  be  returned  to  him  when  repaired. 

A  very  convenient  arrangement  for  securing  tools 
together  when  shipping  them,  may  be  made  by  run- 
ning a  piece  of  chain  through  the  tools  or  around 
them,  and  locking  with  a  spring  key  after  passing  one 
of  the  end  links  through  one  of  the  other  links  of  the 
chain.  The  key  should  be  flat  and  just  wide  enough 
to  fit  the  links  in  the  manner  mentioned.  Fine  soft 
wire  is  superior  to  twine  for  securing  tools  or  for 
tagging  them. 

DISTANCE   TO   SET   OUT   DANGER   SIGNALS. 

52.  Danger  signals  should  be  set  out  a  distance  of 
not  less  than  three  thousand  fi%  hundred  feet  in  both 
directions  from  the  point  where  the  track  is  impassa- 
ble for  trains.  This  distance  can  be  measured  by 
counting  one  hundred  and  seventeen  thirty -foot  rail 
lengths,  in  the  direction  you  are  going  to  set  out  the 
signals;  or  when  the  telegraph  poles  are  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  apart,  the  signals  may  be  set  out  twenty- 
three  telegraph  poles  distant  each  way  from  the  point 
of  danger. 

When  flagging  at  obscure  places,  or  in  the  vicinity 
of  descending  grades,  wrhere  it  is  difficult  to  stop  a 
train,  the  distance  to  set  signals  must  be  doubled  or 
the  telegraph  operator  at  the  next  station  should  be 


232  THE  TEACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

informed,  so  trains  could  be  held  until  track  was 
cleared  and  safe  for  their  passage.  Where  there  is  a 
sufficient  force  of  men,  and  it  is  practicable,  the  flag- 
man should  remain  out  with  the  signals  until  the 
track  is  repaired,  or  the  train  is  stopped.  In  all  cases 
during  a  snow  storm,  in  foggy  weather,  or  at  night, 
the  flagman  must  remain  out  with  the  signals  until 
all  danger  is  passed.  When  the  track  has  been  re- 
paired, and  made  safe  for  trains,  the  flags,  torpedoes, 
or  other  signals  should  be  removed  immediately. 

ALWAYS   KEEP  SIGNALS  WITH   YOU. 

53.  A  Track  Foreman  should  always  keep  on  his 
hand  car,  ready  for  instant  use,  a  full  supply  of  tor- 
pedoes,  red  flags,   or  red   lanterns,   so   that  if  any 
accident  should  render  the  track  unsafe  for  the  pas- 
sage of  trains,  he  would  be  prepared  to  protect  them 
promptly.  Flagmen  sent  out  to  patrol  the  track  should 
not  be  allowed  to  proceed  without  having  with  them 
all  the  necessary  signals  to  stop  trains.    The  Fore- 
man should  instruct  tJ^m  thoroughly  in  their  duties, 
as  he  is  responsible  for  them. 

The  first  duty  of  a  Track  Foreman  when  he  finds  a 
dangerous  place  in  the  track,  no  matter  whether  it  is 
on  his  section  or  not,  is  to  set  out  stop  signals  at  once; 
he  should  then  go  in  the  direction  from  which  the 
next  train  is  expected,  and  report  the  trouble  at  the 
nearest  telegraph  office. 

TIME  CARDS   AND   RULES. 

54.  A  Track  Foreman  should  keep  well  posted  on 
the  time  of  all  regular  trains  passing  over  his  section. 
He  should  also  study  and  understand  thoroughly  all 
the  rules  of  the  company,  for  which  he*is  working, 


GENERAL   INSTRUCTIONS.  233 

that  relate  to  his  work;  and  if  in  doubt  about  anything, 
ask  an  explanation  of  it  from  a  superior  officer.  Read 
over  all  the  rules  on  the  time  card  at  every  time  a  new 
card  is  issued  on  your  road. 

NOTE   OF    FLAGS. 

55.  Whenever  it  is  necessary  for  a  Foreman  to  use 
flags,  instruct  the  man  who  goes  to  set  the  flag  out, 
how  to  place  it.     Set  slow  flag  on  the  engineer's  side 
of  train  coining  towards  the  place  for  which  you  are 
flagging;  set  the  flag  slightly  leaning  so  that  most  of 
it  can  easily  be  seen,  and  set  it  just  far  enough  from 
the  rail  to  clear  engine  and  cars.    A  slow  signal  should 
be  set  out  one-half  mile  or  about  ninety  30-feet  rail 
lengths. 

STOP   SIGNALS. 

56.  When  a  red  flag  or  red  light  is  used  as  a  signal 
to  stop  a  train,  it  should  be  set  in  the  center  of  the 
track.     Two  torpedoes  should  be  used  together  with 
the  red  signal  day  or  night.     The  torpedoes  should 
be  placed  sixty  feet  apart  upon  the  rail,  on  the  same 
side  of  the  track,  between  the'  red  signal  and  the 
approaching  train. 

LOOK  OUT   FOR   SIGNALS. 

57.  Foremen  sh  ould  always  look  for  signals  on  all 
passing  trains.     Another  section  of  the  same  train 
which  has  passed,  or  a  special,  may  be  following  close 
behind;  and  the  Track  Foreman  and  his  men  should 
be  fully  informed,  and  keep  well  posted  as  to  the 
meaning  of  all  signals  displayed  on  passing  trains. 

OBSTRUCTING   THE    TRACK. 

58.  Track  Foremen  should  never  attempt  to  use 
the  track  so  as  to  obstruct  a  regular  train.     All  work 


234  THE  TRACKMAN'S   HELPER. 

which  would  make  the  track  unsafe  for  trains  should 
be  finished,  and  the  track  ready  before  a  regular  train 
is  due  from  the  nearest  station  in  either  direction 
from  where  you  are  working. 

When  working  close  to  a  station,  Foremen  should 
have  the  track  safe  and  clear  at  least  fifteen  minutes 
before  a  train  is  due. 

No  work,  which  would  make  a  track  unsafe,  should 
be  done  on  the  time  of  a  delayed  passenger  train, 
except  in  case  of  emergency,  and  then  the  Foreman 
himself,  or  a  trusty  man,  should  be  out  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  expected  train,  and  take  every  precaution 
necessary  to  protect  the  train  by  proper  signals 
Always  instruct  the  man  who  goes  to  flag  a  train  in 
foggy  weather,  or  during  a  snow  storm,  that,  in  case 
he  finds  it  very  difficult  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
engineer  or  firemen  on  the  approaching  train,  after 
they  have  passed  his  signal,  he  should,  in  some  other 
manner,  make  known  to  the  trainmen  the  presence  of 
danger,  unless  an  effort  has  been  made  to  stop  the 
train  before  it  passes  him. 

REPLACE   SIGNALS. 

59.  Trackmen   finding  danger  signals  along   the 
track  should  leave  them  in  the  same  position  as  found, 
and  if  the  signals  are  injured  so  as  to  be  unsafe,  they 
should  be  replaced  by  good  signals  of  the  same  kind, 
or  a  man  should  be  left  to  guard  the  point.     It  is  the 
duty  of  a  Track  Foreman,  if  he  finds  danger  signals, 
to  go  forward  and  ascertain  their  cause,  and  to  give 
assistance  with  his  men,  if  the  trainmen  require  their 
services. 

INJURED    SIGNALS. 

60.  All    sign     signals  placed     along   the     track 


GENERAL   INSTRUCTIONS.  235 

for  the  guidance  of  Trackmen  or  others,  (when 
injured  or  broken)  should  be  repaired  at  once,  and 
placed  in  position  by  the  Trackmen;  and  if  they  are 
destroyed  or  rendered  useless,  the  Foreman  should  at 
once  make  requisition  on  the  Roadmaster  for  new 
ones. 

COMPLY   WITH   THE   RULES. 

61.  Section    Foremen    or    others    should  use  all 
signals  strictly  in  compliance  With  the   rules   of  the 
road  governing  their   use.     Never  set  out  a  danger 
signal  at  a  shorter  distance  than  that  which  is  speci- 
fied in  the  rules  of  the  road   as   correct,  because  a 
serious  accident  may  be  the  result,  if  a  train  cannot 
be  stopped  in  time. 

LOCATION   OF   WHISTLING   POSTS   AND   SIGNS. 

62.  Station  whistling  posts  should  be  set  one-half 
mile  outside  the  switches,  not  from  the  depot,  and'on 
the  engineer's  side,  the  right  hand  side  of  the  track 
to  one  approaching  the  station.     Station  mile  boards 
should  also  be  set  one  mile  outside  the  switches,  on 
the   same  side  of  the   track   as  the   whistling  post. 
These  two  signs  are  used  to  wrarn  the  trainmen  of  the 
near  approach  to  a  station,  that  they  may  be  able  to 
get  the  train  fully  under  control  before  reaching  the 
station.     The    yard   tracks    at   all   railroad    stations 
extend  some  distance  each  way  from  the  depot.     It 
will  not  do  to  place  the  signs  above  mentioned  at  the 
distance  stated  from  the  depot,  for  the  reason  that  in 
big  yards  they  would  often  be  inside  the  switches. 

Whistling  posts  for  highway  crossings  should  be 
set  one-fourth  of  a  mile  from  the  crossing,  on  the 
engineer's  side  of  the  track.  Whistling  posts  or  signs 


236  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

of  any  description  should  never  be  placed  in  a  cut  if 
it  is  possible  to  avoid  it.  It  is  always  better  to  in- 
crease or  diminish  the  distance  to  get  them  out  of  the 
cut.  The  distance  should  always  be  increased  where 
there  is  a  down  grade,  or  when  the  law  requires  cer- 
tain signs  to  be  placed  a  specified  number  of  feet  or 
rods.  This  rule  should  also  apply  on  sharp  curve's. 
All  signs,  which  have  a  painted  cross  board  on  top  of 
a  post,  should  be  set  with  the  cross  board  at  right 
angles  to  the  track,  so  that  the  sign  can  be  plainly 
seen  by  the  trainmen  for  whom  it  was  intended.  The 
cross  board  on  highway  crossing  signs  should  be 
parallel  with  the  track,  so  that  persons  approaching 
thetrack  from  either  side  on  the  wagon  road  can  see 
and  read  the  painted  sign. 

All  posts  and  signs  should  be  set  firmly  in  the 
ground,  and  so  far  from  the  track,  that  if  knocked 
down  or  blown  over,  they  would  not  fall  upon  it. 
Never  set  any  signs  in  a  leaning  or  twisted  position. 
Highway  crossing  signs  should  be  set  far  enough 
away  from  the  center  of  the  wagon  road,  so  that 
wagons  loaded  with  bulky  material,  such  as  hay  or 
straw,  would  not  strike  the  sign  post  or  the  cross  arm 
at  the  top  of  them. 

TRAIN'S   DISRESPECT   OF   DANGER  SIGNALS. 

63.  Section  Foremen  should  report  promptly  to 
the  Roadmaster  any  failure  on  the  part  of  trainmen 
to  honor  danger  signals  set  out  by  himself  or  his  men. 
If  an  engineer  fails  to  whistle  for  brakes,  and  runs  at 
a  high  speed  past  the  point  for  which  you  have  set 
out  a  slow  flag  or  if  a  train  runs  past  a  dangerous 
place  before  stopping,  for  which  you  set  out  the 
necessary  stop  signals,  you  must  report  all  the  facts 


GENERAL    INSTRUCTIONS.  237 

to  the  Headmaster  without  delay,  giving  the  engine 
and  train  number,  and  the  time  they  passed  the  place 
where  you  were  working.  Foremen  should  not  over- 
look any  neglect  of  duty  by  the  trainmen  in  this 
matter.  Always  remember  that  the  safety  of  trains, 
and  the  lives  of  passengers  and  employes  depends  in 
a  great  measure  upon  a  strict  compliance  with  the 
company's  rules. 

LOOK   OUT   FOR   TRAINS. 

64.  Section  Foremen  should  always  keep  a  sharp 
lookout  for  trains  while  working  on  track,  while  using 
hand   cars,  or  while  transferring  material  from  one 
track  to  another  on  cars.     Never  trust  too  much  in 
this  matter  to  the  men,  as  they  are  not  held  responsi- 
ble for  accidents.     To  be  on  the  safe  side,  a  Foreman 
should  always  be  expecting  a  train,  then  he  will  be 
prepared  for  all  extra  trains  or  specials,  of  which  he 
has  no  previous  notice. 

ALWAYS   BE   PREPARED. 

65.  Whenever  it  is  necessary  for  a  Foreman  to  go 
to  a  wreck  or  washout,  or  to  assist  at  any  kind  of  work 
which  calls  him  away  from  his  own  regular  work,  he 
should  be  prepared,  having  lanterns  ready  to  light, 
tools  all   on   the  car,   tape  line   in   his   pocket,   etc 
Don't  start  out  half  equipped  with  tools.     When  you 
find  a  place  to  fix  up  or  repair,  and  there  is  need  of 
tools,  which  you  have  not  with  you,  you  will  have  to 
send  after  them,  perhaps  delaying  trains  for  an  hour 
or  more  because  of  your  carelessness.     Don't  go  out 
on  track  and  discover  a  broken  rail,  and  at  the  same 
time  find  that  everything  necessary  for  repairing  it  is 
on  hand,   except  chisels,  and  they  are  at  your  tool 
house,  seven  or  eight  miles  away.    A  Foreman  who  is 


238  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

careless  in  these  matters,  is  generally  so  in  everything 
else  he  does,  although  he  may  hold  his  position  for  a 
time.  The  Headmaster  has  him  marked  down  as  poor 
material,  and  will  always  remove  him  as  soon  as  he 
can  put  a  better  man  in  his  place. 

HAND  CAR  AND  TOOL  HOUSES. 

66.  The  hand  car  and  tool  houses  of  Track  Fore- 
men should  be  kept  outside  the  switches  at  yards,  or 
wherever  is  the  most  convenient  place.    They  should 
be  located  so  that  the  men  can  get  to  and  from  work 
without  being  delayed  by  trains  standing  on  the  tracks. 
Tool  and  hand  car  houses  and  track  supplies  of  any 
kind  should  always  be  placed  a  sufficient  distance 
from  the  track,  so  that  they  will  not  obstruct  the  view 
of  the  trainmen,  or  be  likely  in  case  of  accident  to 
fall  on  or  near  the  track. 

TELEGRAPH  OFFICE  REPORT. 

67.  Where   a  Section  Foreman's  headquarters  is 
located  at  a  station,  he  should  report  at  the  telegraph 
office   for   orders   and  inquire   for   messages   before 
going  out  to  work  every  morning,  and  immediately 
after  working  hours  in  the  evening. 

REMOVING    HAND    CARS    FROM    CROSSINGS. 

68.  No  material  of  any  kind  should  ever  be  piled 
or  placed  on  a  highway  where  it  crosses  the  track. 
Section  Foremen  or  others  should  never  take  off  their 
hand  or  push  cars  and  leave  them  on  the  highway  or 
private  wagon  crossings  unless  it  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  do  so  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  a  passing  train. 
The  car  should  then  be  immediately  put  back  on  the 
track,  and  removed  to  a  proper  distance  from  the  high- 
way.    Section  Foremen  should  provide  places  along 


GENERAL   INSTRUCTIONS.  239 

their  sections,  at  convenient  distances  not  less  than 
100  feet  from  highways  or  crossings,  where  they  can 
take  off  their  hand  or  push  cars,  and  leave  them  when 
necessary.  Obstructing  highways  by  leaving  thereon 
track  material,  hand  cars,  etc.,  has  been  the  cause  of 
numerous  accidents,  and  claims  for  damages  against 
railroad  companies. 

THROWING  SWITCHES. 

69.  Track  Foremen  should  not  be  in  the  habit  of 
throwing  switches  for  trivial  reasons.  Although  it  is 
the  custom  on  most  railroads  to  allow  Section  Fore- 
men to  carry  a  switch  key,  they  should  not  abuse  this 
right  by  unlocking  and  throwing  switches  to  move  a 
hand  or  push  car  without  a  load  from  one  track  to 
another,  or  to  accommodate  trainmen  who  should  do 
this  work  themselves.  Hand  cars  and  push  cars,  with 
a  light  load,  can  as  well  be  moved  from  one  track  to 
another,  where  the  rails  come  close  together,  without 
throwing  the  switch.  Men  employed  on  the  section 
should  not  be  trusted  to  throw  a  switch,  except  in  the 
presence  of  the  Foreman.  When  a  switch  has  been 
thrown  on  a  side  track,  the  person  throwing  it  should 
not  leave  it  until  after  throwiny  the  switch  back  again 
on  the  main  track  and  locking  it. 

Any  Foreman  who  would  throw,  or  allow  others  to 
throw  a  switch  from  the  main  track,  and  leave  it  in 
that  position  while  performing  a  piece  of  work,  or 
until  it  suited  his  convenience  to  throw  it  back, 
should  be  discharged;  and  he  would  be  criminally 
liable  if  any  accident  should  happen  through  his 
carelessness.  Those  intrusted  with  the  operation  of 
switches  cannot  be  too  careful. 


240  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

LEAVING  HAND  CARS  ON  TRACK. 

70.  Some  Track  Foremen  have  a  habit  of  leaving 
hand  or  push  cars  on  the  track,  while  cutting  weeds 
or  doing  other  work  which  requires  frequent  moving 
from  place  to  place.     This  should  not  be  done.     The 
main  track  should  be  kept  clear  at  all  times,  except 
when  Trackmen  must  occupy  it  to  do  necessary  re- 
pairs; at  such  times  or  when  moving  loads  of  material 
on   cars,    Foremen   should   protect   themselves   with 
proper  danger  signals. 

Foremen  should  not  leave  hand  cars  on  side  tracks 
as  they  are  liable  to  be  smashed  by  trains  switching, 
and  cause  a  wreck  at  the  same  time- 

LOANING   TOOLS,   CARS,   ETC. 

71.  Track  Foremen  should  never  loan  to  persons 
outside  of  the  company's  service  any  tools,  hand  car, 
velocipede  car,  push   car,  or    track  material  of  any 
kind  which  is  intrusted  to  their  care,  without  per- 
mission  of  their   superior  officers.     Foremen  them- 
selves or  their  men  should  not  use  hand  cars,  veloci- 
pede cars,  etc.,  on  the  track  outside  of  regular  work- 
ing hours,   unless  in  the  company's  service,  or  with 
permission  from  the  Roadmaster. 

Foremen  who  adhere  strictly  to  this  rule  are  very 
seldom  requested  by  outside  parties  to  grant  them 
any  privileges,  and  thereby  save  themselves  an- 
noyance. Track  Foremen  should  remember  that 
company  material  of  any  kind,  no  matter  how  value- 
less it  may  appear  to  them,  is  still  the  company's 
property  \  and  that  they  have  no  right  to  appropriate 
it  for  their  own  use,  or  to  sell  it  to  others,  without 
authority  from  their  superior  officers. 


•GENERAL  INSTRUCTIONS.  241 

DIFFERENT    VARIETIES   OF   TIES. 

72.  On  a  railroad  where  different  varieties  of  ties 
are  used  in  the  track,  the  softer  kind  of  wood  should 
be  used   in  straight  track,   and   the  hard  wood  ties 
should  be  used  in  the  curves,  and  in  sags   between 
heavy  grades  where  the  speed  of  trains  is  very  fast. 
If  hard  wood  ties  can  be  procured  for  a  curve  track 
they  should  not  be  mixed  with  soft  wood  ties  in  the 
same  track,  because  the  rails  will  in  the  course   of 
time   cut   a  bed   in  the  soft  wood  ties,  and  thereby 
affect  the  surface  of  the  track*.    At  the  end  of  bridges 
and  under  switches  are  also  good  places  to  use  hard 
wood  ties,  where  they  can  be  furnished  for  that  pur- 
pose.    White  cedar  is  the  best  soft  wood  tie;  white 
oak  the  best  hard  wood  tie. 

CARE   OF    TOOLS. 

73.  The   following   instructions  in  regard   to  the 
proper  care  and  handling  of  shovels,  claw  bars,  cold 
chisels,  etc.,  are  only  given  to  bring  to  the  notice  of 
Track  Foremen  the  necessity  of  looking  after  all  of 
their  tools,  either  in  or  out  of  service,  and  to  see  that 
they  are  not  needlessly  damaged  or  destroyed.     Care- 
less  workmen    are   liable   to    injure   track   tools    in 
numerous  ways  not  mentioned  in  these  pages,   but 
which  an   intelligent  Foreman  can  see  in  time  and 
prevent. 

HAND    CARS,    ETC. 

74.  Hand  cars,  push  cars,  and  velocipedes,  should 
be  oiled  regularly,  the  axle  and  other  boxes  kept  tight 
and  care   should  be  taken  to  have  them  ready    for 
service  at  any  time  when  needed.    A  good,  light,  easy 
running  hand  car  savas  labor,  and  Foremen  should 


242  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER* 

not  injure  their  hand  cars  by  hauling  loads  of  rails 
on  them.  It  may  sometimes  be  necessary  to  take  one 
or  two  rails  on  a  hand  car  to  save  time,  in  case  of  a 
broken  rail  or  wreck.  In  such  a  case,  balance  the 
rail  lengthway  on  the  car,  and  keep  it  as  close  as 
possible  to  the  side  of  the  car. 
SHOVELS. 

75.  Shovels,  more  than  all  other  track  tools  used 
on  a  railroad,  figure  as  a  large  item  in  the  expense  of 
general  track  repair.     Track  Foremen  should  be  very 
particular  to  instruct  their  men  not  to  hold  up  the 
ends  of  ties  with  a  shovel,  nor  to  space  ties  in  track 
with  it,  nor  to  stick  the  corners  of  a  shovel  blade  in  a 
tie  to  pull  it  under  the  rails,  etc.,  and,  in  fact,  not  to 
use  the  shovels  in  any  way  that  will  strain  or  break 
them.     The  greater  number  of  the  old  shovels  which 
are  thrown  away  as  useless,  could  have  been  made  to 
do  good  service  a  much  longer  time  if  handled  properly. 

COLD   CHISELS. 

76.  Cold  chisels,  when  first  dressed  by  the  black- 
smith, are  not  always  of  a  good  temper  at  the  point. 
Track  Foremen  should  handle  a  cold  chisel  carefully 
when  cutting  the  first  rail  with  it.     If  it  gets  slightly 
blunted  at  the  point,  or  a  chip  comes  off  from  it,  put 
it  on  the  grind  stone  and  grind  it  true,  after  which  a 
chisel,  which  was  hard  before  the  grinding,  will  often 
cut  a  large  number  of  rails  before  it  is  necessary  to 
send  it  to  the  shop  again. 

USE  OF   CLAW   B^ES. 

77.  Claw  bars  should  not  be  used  between  the 
bottom  of  the  rails  and  track  ties  to  spring  up  the 
rails  or  raise  track.    Using  c?aw  bars  the  above  way, 


GENERAL   INSTRUCTIONS.  243 

especially  in  frosty  weather,  frequently  breaks  off  the 
claws  on  the  end  used  for  pulling  spikes.  Such 
breaks  are  difficult  to  repair,  and  if  that  end  of  the 
bar  is  a  combination  of  iron  and  steel  it  is  likely  that 
enough  of  the  steel  will  break  off  to  render  the  bar 
useless. 

LINING   BAKS. 

78.  Lining  bars  should  be  made  as  light  as  possi- 
ble; just  so  strong  that  one  man  can  not  either  bend 
or  break  a  bar  when  pulling  track  to  line.     Foremen 
should  not  allow  the  men  to  use  the  small  end  of  a 
lining   bar  in  the  ground   when  pulling   track,   and 
when  not  using  them  the  men  should  stand  up   all 
bars  with  one  end  in  the  ground  in  hot  weather,  or 
keep  them  in  the  shade.     This  keeps  the  bars  cool 
so   that  men   can   comfortably  handle  them;  it  also 
does  away  with  the  necessity  of  hunting  through  the 
grass  for  bars,  when  they  are  wanted  to  use  or  to  take 
home. 

RAIL   PUNCHES. 

79.  If  rail  punches  are  used  to  make  bolt  holes  in 
a  rail,  the  work  can  be  done  quicker  and  as  well  with 
the  punch  alone,  as  with  the  aid  of  the  cold  chisel 
if  it  is  possible,  always  punch  the  bolt  holes  in  a  rali 
before  cutting  it,  as  old  rails  which  are  cut  first,  and 
punched  afterwards,  are  liable  to  split  under  the  ball 
of  the  rail.    When  a  rail  drill  can  be  procured  to  bore 
the  holes  in  a  rail,  never  use  a  rail  punch,  and  bore 
all  the  holes  necessary  to  full  bolt  the  joint. 

THE   PLACE    FOR    TOOLS. 

80.  Foremen  should  bring  home  every  night  and 
put  in  the  tool  house  all  tools  which  they  have  been 


244  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

using  on  track  during  the  day.  Never  leave  tools  out 
on  the  section.  Unscrupulous  persons  who  live  near 
the  track  or  who  may  pass  along  there  are  very  apt  to 
appropriate  any  tools  which  they  find  along  the  track. 
Any  loss  of  track  tools  should  be  reported  by  Fore- 
men to  the  Roadmaster. 

CUTTING   STEEL. 

81.  Whenever  it  is  necessary  to  cut  steel  rails, 
Track  Foremen  should  instruct  the  men  how  to  do  it 
properly.  All  steel  or  iron  rails  should  be  cut  as 
accurately  as  possible  as  to  length,  and  allowance  for 
expansion  should  be  deducted  from  the  length  of  the 
rail.  No  careless  work  should  ever  be  allowed,  such 
as  cutting  the  rail  one  -inch  or  more  short  of  the 
proper  length.  • 

The  line  of  the  chisel  cut  around  the  rail  should  be 
continuous  and  square  across  the  rail.  Iron  rails,  as 
a  general  rule,  need  to  be  cut  deeper  than  steel  before 
they  will  break  off.  Hard  steel,  if  cut  deep,  is  liable 
to  become  tough  at  the  cut,  and  will  sometimes  break 
off  on  either  side  of  the  cut,  leaving  a  bad  unshapely 
end  on  the  rail.  To  break  off  a  rail  at  the  cut,  lift  up 
the  rail  at  the  end  nearest  to  the  cut,  and  let  the  cut 
place  fall  over  a  piece  of  rail  laid  on  a  tie,  or  some- 
thing solid  across  the  track  rails.  Short  pieces  to  be 
cut  from  rails  may  be  broken  off  with  the  sledge. 
When  cutting  rails  or  punching  them,  Trackmen 
should  not  use  a  spike  maul  to  strike  the  chisel  or 
punch,  because  this  destroys  the  face  of  the  spike 
maul,  and  splits  pieces  from  the  head  of  steel  tools, 
making  them  worthless  in  a  short  time.  A  good 
sledge  made  on  purpose  for  striking  hard  steel  tools 
should  be  one  of  the  tools  on  every  section,  and  should 


GENERAL   INSTRUCTIONS.  245 

be  taken  in  preference  to  any  other  tool  of  the  kind 
whenever  necessity  requires  its  use. 

THE    BALLAST    IN    YARDS. 

82.  The  yard  track  at  all  stations  inside  the  switch- 
es should  be  dressed  off  level  with  the  top  of  the  ties, 
both   inside  and  outside   of   the  track  rails.     When 
there  is  enough  ballast  the  shoulder  should  be  level 
and  of  sufficient  width  to  allow  trainmen  or  passeng- 
ers room  to  walk  along  outside  the  ties.     Where  yard 
tracks  are  close  together  no  rubbish,  or  obstructions 
of  any  kind,  should  be  placed  on  the  space  between 
them,  or  allowed  to  remain  there. 

EXECUTE   PROMPTLY. 

83.  When  the  Foreman  receives  an  order  from  the 
Roadmaster  to  do  any  special  piece  of  work,  he  should 
do  it  at  once,  and  finish  it  up  in  the  manner  in  which 
he  is  instructed.    It  is  of  the  greatest  importance  that 
Track  Foremen  adhere  strictly  to  this  rule.     Never 
let  work  wait  to  suit  your  convenience,  nor  do  any 
work  in   a   way  contrary  to  that  in  which   you  are 
ordered  to  do  it. 

PROTECT   AGAINST    FIRES. 

84.  In  the  fall  of  the  year  when  the   weeds  and 
grass  along  the  right  of  way  have  become  dead  and 
dry,  Section  Foremen  should  take  every  precaution 
to  protect  the  company's  property,  and  that  of  per- 
sons living  near  the  track,  from  damage  by  fire.    Fire 
started  by  sparks  from   locomotives,  or   from  other 
unknown  sources  should  be  looked  after  at  once  and 
extinguished.     Do   not   cease  your  efforts  until   you 
are  sure  all  danger  is  past.     All  wooden  structures, 
bridges,  culverts,  etc.,  should  be  examined  as  often  as 


246  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

you  pass  them  and  any  combustible  matter  which 
may  be  close  to  the  timbers  should  be  removed.  Be 
particular,  when  burning  rubbish  or  grass  along  the 
right  of  way,  to  always  work  with  a  favorable  wind. 
Run  no  risks,  and  if  you  see  a  doubtful  smoke  along 
the  track,  take  your  men,  go  to  it  at  once,  and  find 
out  what  has  caused  it. 

THE   CURVING   HOOK. 

85.  Where  curving  machines   are  not   furnished, 
the  curving  hook   is   a   very   handy  tool,  and  there 
should  be  one  kept  on  every  section.     With  it  and  a 
track  level,  a  Foreman  can  straighten  rails  or  curve 
them,  and  also  remove   a   surface  bend   from  a  rail 
weighing  less  than  65  pounds  per  yard. 

The  following  is  the  manner  of  using  it:  Place  two 
ties  across  the  track  nearly  a  rail  apart,  lay  the  rail 
upon  the  two  ties,  attach  your  curving  hook  to  the 
track  rail  between  two  of  the  track  ties,  place  the  end 
of  the  lever  in  the  curving  hook,  and  press  it  down 
on  the  rail  to  be  curved  or  straightened.  A  third  tie 
or  block  is  used  to  put  under  the  rail  to  be  curved, 
when  the  bend  is  short.  The  tie  on  either  end  is 
moved  up  closer  to  take  out  a  kink  without  affecting 
the  balance  of  the  rail.  To  remove  a  surface  bend 
from  a  rail,  the  rail  should  be  placed  work- way  on 
the  top  of  the  ties  above  mentioned,  and  under  the 
lever,  just  as  when  a  rail  is  being  curved. 

REPORT   STOCK   KILLED. 

86.  All  stock  killed  or  injured,  and  found  lying  on 
the  right  of  way  by  the  Foreman,  should  be  reported 
promptly  to  the  Headmaster.    Section  Foremen  should 
always  report  the  stock  killed  or  injured,   whether 


GENERAL   INSTRUCTIONS.  247 

they  were  struck  by  a  passing  train  or  died  from 
natural  causes.  It  is  the  duty  of  Foremen  to  make 
an  examination  of  the  body  of  the  animal  found,  find 
the  owner  if  possible,  and  get  the  age  and  cash  value 
of  the  animal.  If  it  was  struck  by  a  train,  give  engine 
number,  train  number  and  time  of  the  accident,  if 
you  know  it.  In  your  report  give  all  other  informa- 
tion which  is  likely  to  be  of  any  value  to  the  com- 
pany you  are  working  for.  If  the  owner  of  a  dead 
animal  does  not  remove  it  from  the  right  of  way, 
the  Section  Foreman  should  take  his  men  and  bury 
the  carcass  after  investigating  the  cause  of  acci- 
dent, etc. 

Foremen  have  no  right  to  appropriate  to  their  own 
use  (or  to  allow  others  to  do  so)  the  carcass  or  hide 
of  any  animal  killed  along  the  track. 

DAMAGE   BY    FIRE. 

87.  When  property  along  the  right  of  way  has 
been  destroyed  or  damaged  by  fire,  the  Section  Fore- 
man should  go  to  such   place  at  once,  examine  the 
ground  thoroughly,  measure  the  distance  from  the 
center  of  the  track  to  where  the  fire  started,  find  the 
value  of  the  property  destroyed,  make  out  an  itemized 
estimate  in  his  report;  and  also  state  the  direction  of 
the  wind  when  the  fire  was  burning,  and   give  a  true 
account  of  everything  as  far  as  he  knows.     Do  not 
accept  the  statement  of  others  until  you  know  them 
to  be  correct. 

BE   CAREFUL    OF    MATERIAL. 

88.  When   a   Track  Foreman   lays   or   extends  a 
piece  of  track,  as  soon  as  he  has  finished  the  job  he 
should  have  every  loose  spike,  bolt  splice,  etc.,  picked 


248  THE  TKACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

up  and  taken  care  of.  Track  material  lying  around 
where  a  gang  of  men  have  been  working,  is  very 
good  evidence  that  the  Foreman  is  careless  about  his 
work  and  wasteful  of  the  company's  property.  If 
loose  bolts  or  spikes  were  picked  up  and  taken  care  of 
until  used,  many  thousands  of  dollars  would  be  saved 
for  the  company  in  a  year. 

PICK    UP   SCATTERED    MATERIAL. 

89.  Never  allow  old  iron  taken  out  of  track,  old 
ties,  broken  brakes,  links,  pins,  etc.,  to  accumulate  on 
your  section.     Bring  them  into  the  station  and  ship 
to   the  points   designated   by   the     Roadmaster,   all 
except  what  is  needed  for  use  on  your  section. 

DO   FIRST   WHAT   NEEDS   TO    BE   DONE. 

90.  A  Track  Foreman  should  always  have  his  work 
planned   ahead.     By   giving   close   attention   to  the 
track,  as  he  passes  over  it  daily  each  way,  a  Foreman 
will  always  be  able  to  see  what  needs  to  be  repaired 
most,  and  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  here  that  such 
work  should  be  done  at  once.     Do  not  ride  over  the 
same  low  joint  every  day,  a  joint  one-half  inch  out  of 
gage  or  line,  or  pass  the  same  broken  joint  tie  or  bolt 
hanging  loose  in   the   splices  expecting   to  fix  such 
places  the  next  week  or  waiting  until  the  Headmaster 
calls  your  attention  to  these  things.     The  longer  you 
wait,  the  more  these  little  odd  jobs  increase  in  num- 
ber, and  at  about  the  time  you  have  set  to  do  them 
you  are  called  off  to  some  place  else.     The  work  still 
increases  during  your  absence,  and  in  this  manner 
things  go  on  the  year  round.     You  are  always  behind, 
always   worried;   you    think   the     Roadmaster   hard 
because  he  urges  you  to  hurry;  you  make  excuses  for 


GENERAL    INSTRUCTIONS.  249 

yourself,  as  for  instance,  that  you  were  putting  up  a 
nice  piece  of  track  some  where  else  on  the  section. 
But  always  remember  that  if  you  had  ten  miles  of  the 
best  track  in  the  country,  all  good  track  except  one 
rail  length,  and  that  rail  was  dangerous,  the  balance 
of  your  section,  no  matter  how  good,  would  not  save 
a  train  from  getting  wreck*  d,  nor  you  from  the  blame 
that  would  justly  fall  upon  you.  In  no  other  line  of 
business  does  the  old  saying  apply  with  greater  force 
than  on  a  railroad:  "Never  put  off  till  tomorrow 
what  should  be  done  today." 

HOW    TO    DO   WORK. 

91.  Experience  will  teach  a  Foreman  that  the  sec- 
ret of  keeping  a  good  track  on  his  section  lies  in  doing 
all  work  well.  Slight  no  work.  Do  not  surface  up 
track  to  make  a  big  show  for  the  present,  but  surface 
it  as  fast  as  it  can  be  done  to  make  track  that  will 
remain  good  a  long  time.  Very  smooth  track,  well 
lined  and  gaged,  will  stay  good  sometimes  for  years 
without  much  repairing.  On  the  other  hand,  track 
that  might  be  called  good,  with  an  occasional  slight 
dip  in  the  surface,  if  there  is  much  traffic  over  it,  will 
soon  be  bad  track;  because,  where  quarters  or  joints 
are  only  one  quarter  of  an  inch  low  after  the  track  is 
surfaced,  the  weight  of  an  engine  or  loaded  cars  strike 
such  low  places  with  great  force,  and  gradually  in- 
crease the  depression  until  the  track  becomes  very 
rough  and  dangerous.  If  not  cared  for,  low  places  in 
track  knock  out  of  gage  and  line  besides  getting  low. 
The  same  method  of  doing  work  will  not  answer 
always.  Foremen  should  adopt  a  method  of  doing 
work  that  will  give  the  best  resnilts  with  the  kind  of 
material  furnished. 


250  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

If  there  is  only  dirt  for  ballast,  don't  always  be 
telling  what  good  track  you  could  have  with  gravel  or 
rock,  but  see  how  good  a  track  can  be  made  with  dirt 
for  a  ballast. 

FOREMEN    ON    DUTY. 

92.  When  on  duty,  the  Foreman  should  always  be 
with  his  men  and  assist  them  in  doing  the  work.     It 
is  his  duty  also  to  instruct  his  men  by  word  and  ex- 
ample as  to  the  proper  manner  of  performing  all  the 
different  kinds  of  work  in  which  they  are  together 
engaged. 

ADOPT    THE    BEST    METHOD. 

93.  If  you  can  improve  on  the  old  method  of  doing 
any  kind  of  work,  when  you  are  not  satisfied  with  the 
results  of  a  trial,  adopt  a  new  plan.     When  you  do  any 
kind  of  work  on  track,  and  it  does  not  give  satisfaction, 
always  try  to  find  the  remedy  for  its  defects.     Do 
not  say  it  can't  be  done,  but  remember  that  a  man 
who  finds  himself  in  a  difficult  position,   if  he  has 
good  judgment  and  a  lively  brain,  can  work  out  some 
of  the  most  difficult  problems  without  any  previous 
knowlege  of  them.     Never  take  a  slow  method  to  do 
any  kind  of  work  that  you  can  do  as  well  in  a  quicker 
way.     Don't  forget  that  the  world  moves,  but  move 
with  it.     Try  to  learn  something  from  the  experience 
of  others  who  are  successful  in  the  same  profession 
as  yours.     A  trifle  of  time  gained  soon  amounts  to  a 
day,  month  or  year,  if  multiplied  many  times.     Take 
for  example  two  men  spiking  track,  one  strikes  across 
the  rail  when  his  partner  tacks  the  spike  in  the  tie, 
then  both  finish  driving  their  own  spikes.     Another 
man    tacks    his    spike,    and    does    all   the    driving 
on  it  himself  without  striking  across  the  rail.     On 


GENERAL    INSTRUCTIONS.  251 

every  spike  he  drives,  the  first  man  gains  two  motions 
which  the  second  man  loses,  and  at  the  end  of  a  hard 
day's  work  the  first  spiker  will  be  a  long  distance  ahead 
of  the  second  man,  and  with  considerable  less  labor; 
although  to  the  inexperienced  onlooker  there  would  be 
no  perceptible  difference  in  their  methods  of  working. 
Take  for  another  instance  the  case  of  two  Foremen 
putting  new  ties  in  the  track.  One  removes  all  the 
dirt  or  ballast  from  the  center  of  the  track  to  the  out- 
side of  the  rails  in  order  to  get  a  number  of  ties  into 
track  at  once;  the  other  Foreman  moves  the  material 
in  the  center  of  track  back  upon  the  new  ties  as  fast 
as  he  putsintwo  or  three;  and  by  that  method  the  latter 
Foreman  saves  himself  and  his  men  the  labor  of  shov- 
eling many  yards  of  ballast  from  outside  the  track 
rails  to  fill  the  center  of  the  track.  To  bring  a  sec- 
tion of  track  up  to  anything  like  perfection,  the  Fore- 
man in  charge  of  it  must  look  closely  after  all  the 
work  in  its  minutest  details,  and  allow  nothing  to  go 
undone  which  would  contribute  towards  improving 
the  track.  None  but  careless  Foremen  will  line  up 
one  side  of  a  track  well  and  then  leave  it  without  tak- 
ing the  kinks  out  of  the  gage  side  at  the  same 
time.  A  careless  Foreman  will  put  a  new  tie  into 
track  without  taking  up  to  surface  a  low  joint  close 
to  it.  He  will  cut  weeds  past  a  joint  with  a  bolt 
broken  out  of  it  without  putting  in  a  new  bolt.  He 
will  make  a  trip  over  the  section,  and  never  notice  a 
break  in  a  fence,  or  if  he  does  note  it,  will  wait 
until  he  is  notified  by  the  Headmaster  to  fix  it.  It  is 
likely  that  you  will  find  the  same  Foreman  surfacing 
*a  piece  of  track  without  using  a  spirit  level  on  it. 
Such  a  man  is  not  fit  to  make  a  good  laborer  much 


252  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

less  a  Foreman;  and  the  piece  of  road  in  his  charge 
will  soon  run  down  if  he  be  not  discharged,  and  re- 
placed by  a  Foreman  who  has  a  desire  to  improve  the 
track  whenever  he  does  work  on  it.  The  work  of  a 
careless  Foreman  puts  the  Roadmaster  to  watching 
him,  because  he  informs  on  himself  every  day,  while 
the  careful,  industrious  Foreman  makes  a  good,  per- 
manent job  wherever  he  works,  and  the  result  is  a 
first  class  track  where  recently  may  have  been  a  very 
rough  section. 


WRECKING. 
CHAPTEK  IX. 

1,  Wrecking— 2,  On  the  Ground— 3,  To  Square  a  Car  Truck— 4,  When  a  Center 
Pin  Cannot  be  Used— 5,  Without  an  Engine— 6,  Cars  Off  on  Ties— 7,  Oil 
the  Rail— 8,  Broken  Switches— 9,  Car  Trucks  in  the  Ditch— 10,  To  Con- 
nect Broken  Chains— 11,  To  Turn  a  Car  Truck  on  Soft  Ground— 12.  To 
Put  a  Wrecked  Gravel  Plow  Back  on  Cars— 13,  Sliding  a  Car  on  a  Tie— 14, 
Loaded  Wrecked  Cars— 15,  Broken  Center  Pins— 16,  Pulling  on  a  Chain 
or  Rope— 17,  A  Dead  Man— 18,  Wrecked  Engines— 19,  How  to  Work  at  a 
Wreck. 

1.  The   first  duty  of   a   track  Foreman  when   he 
receives  a  notice  that  there  has  been  an  accident,  and 
he  is  wanted  there,  is  to  collect  his  men   and  take  his 
hand  car,  and  all  his  portable  tools,  even   those  which 
he  thinks  he  is  not  ilkely  to  use.     He  should  not  go- 
short  of  tools  expecting  that  the  other  Foreman  there 
will  have  enough .     The  other  Foreman  may  think  the 
same,  and  valuable  time  will  be   lost  by  the  want  of 
forethought  of  both. 

ON    THE   GROUND. 

2.  When  a  Track  Foreman  arrives  at  the  scene  of 
accident,  he  should  proceed  immediately  to  do  what- 
ever work,  in  his  judgment,  would  contribute  most  to 
putting  the  track  in  a  passable  condition  for  other 
trains,  notwithstanding  the  absence  of  his  superior 
officers,  who  may  not  be  able  to  reach  the  wreck  for 
several  hours.     If  the  track  is  torn  up,  and  the  cars 
do  not  interfere,  put  in  ties  enough  to  carry  a  train 


254  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

safely  over  where  you  can.  If  the  rails  are  bent  out 
of  shape  secure  some  from  near  by,  if  it  is  possible. 
If  this  cannot  be  done,  get  as  many  as  possible  of  the 
damaged  rails  to  their  proper  shape,  and  spike  down 
in  the  track. 

If  a  small  bridge  or  culvert  has  given  away,  crib  it 
with  ties  until  you  can  cross  it  with  track.  If  you 
cannot  procure  ties  along  your  section,  and  many  are 
not  needed,  remove  a  part  of  the  ties  from  the  track 
where  it  is  full  tied,  and  where  it  will  leave  a  suffi- 
cient number  in  the  track  to  make  it  safe  for  the  pas- 
sage of  trains. 

In  the  same  manner,  if  you  are  short  of  bolts  and 
spikes  and  too  much  time  would  be  lost  by  going  after 
them,  borrow  some  from  track  where  they  can  be 
spared  and  fix  track  to  let  trains  pass. 

TO   SQUARE   A    CAR    TRUCK. 

3.  If  one  or  both  trucks  beneath  a  car  should  leave 
the  track  at  once  and  turn  across  it,  as  is  often  the 
case,  uncouple  from  the  car  and  hitch  a  switch  rope  to 
the  corner  of   the  truck  and  to  the  draw  head  of  the 
car  next  to  the  one  which  is  off  the  track.     Then  pull 
the  truck  into  a  position  parallel  to  the  track,  after 
which  it  can  be  put  on  the  rails  with  the  wrecking 
frogs. 

If  the  car  should  be  loaded  very  heavily,  it  might 
be  advisable  to  raise  the  end  with  jacks  before  squar- 
ing the  truck.  If  the  right  man  undertakes  this  job, 
the  train  need  not  be  delayed  over  thirty  minutes. 

WHEN   A    CENTER   PIN   CANNOT   BE   USED. 

4.  Sometimes  when  a  car  leaves  the  track,  the  cen- 
ter pin  breaks,  or  is  so  badly  bent  that   it  cannot  be 


WRECKING.  255 

used  again.  This  often  happens  on  the  road  when 
there  is  nothing  at  hand  to  remove  the  crooked  pin. 
In  such  a  case,  if  the  car  is  empty,  or  not  heavily 
loaded,  it  is  best  to  roll  the  truck  from  beneath  the 
car  off  the  track,  and  haul  the  car  into  the  station 
carefully  supported  on  that  end  by  the  regular  coup- 
ling pin  and  link. 

When  the  ends  of  a  broken  center  pin  do  not  pro- 
ject, the  end  of  a  car  can  be  jacked  up,  the  truck 
placed  in  position,  and  the  end  of  the  car  again 
allowed  to  rest  in  its  place  on  the  truck,  after  which, 
if  watched  carefully,  the  car  can  be  hauled  a  long 
distance. 

WITHOUT    AN    ENGINE. 

5.  It  often  happens  that  a  car  gets  off  the  track  in 
such  a  place  that  it  is  impossible  to  get  the  help  of  an 
engine  to  pull  it  on  again  without  considerable  delay 
When  a  case  of  this  kind  occurs,  and  there  are  other 
cars  on  the  track  near  by,  take  the  car  nearest  to  the 
one  off  the  track,  and  couple  the  two  together  with  a 
chain,  or  a  rope  long  enough  to  give  plenty  of  slack. 
Then  get  together  what  men  are  available,  and  push 
the  car  which  is  011  the  track  close  to  the  wrecked 
car.     When  you  are   ready  to  pull  the  wrecked  car 
upon  the  track,  start  the  car  which  is  coupled  to  it 
away  from  it  as  fast  as  the  men  can  push  it.     The 
jerk,  when  the  slack  of  the  line  is  taken  up,  will  pull 
the  car  on  the  track  as  well  as   an  engine  can  do  it. 
If  you  have  men  enough,  use  for  the  motive  power 
two  or  more  cars,  if  necessary.     This  is  what  is  called 
"slacking  a  car  onto  track." 

CARS   OFF   ON    TIES. 

6.  When  cars  have  got  off  the  track,  and  are  still 


256  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

on  the  ties,  it  is  best  to  put  blocks  or  ties  between 
those  in  the  track  to  keep  the  wheels  from  sinking 
between  the  ties.  By  doing  this  at  once,  before 
attempting  to  put  the  cars  back  on  the  track,  will 
generally  save  considerable  time  and  labor. 

OIL    THE    RAIL. 

7.  If  an  engine  or  car  mounts  the  outside  rail  of  a 
sharp  curve,  and  persist  in  running  off  the  track,  oil 
the  rails  thoroughly  where  the  most  trouble  is  expe- 
rienced.    This  will  generally  allow  the  engine  or  car 
to  go  around  the  curve  without  leaving  the  track. 

Very  rusty  rails  on  a  curve  track,  which  has  not 
been  used  for  some  time,  often  causes  the  wheel  to 
mount  the  outside  rail  of  a  curve,  the  surface  not 
being  smooth  enough  to  allow  the  wheels  to  slide. 

BROKEN   SWITCHES. 

8.  If  at  any  time,  you  find  the  connecting  rod  of 
a  stub  switch  broken,  or  you  want  to  use  the  'switch 
and  have  no  switch  stand,  slip  a  car  link  between  the 
ends  of  the  lead  rails,  allowing  enough  of  it  to  project 
to  hold  the  ends  of  the  moving  rails  in  place,  or  take 
a  piece  of  plank  of  the  right  shape,  and  use  it  in  the 
same  way  as  the  link.     This  is  better 

CAR   TRUCKS    IN   THE   DITCH. 

9.  When  the  car  trucks  are  thrown  some  distance 
from  the  track  in  a  wreck,  the  quickest  method  of 
putting   them   on   the  track  again,   if  you  have   no 
derrick   car,  is  to  take  bars  and   turn  them   almost 
parallel  to   the  track,  but  with  one  end  a  little  the 
closest  to  the  track.     Hitch  a  rope  to  this  end  of  the 
truck,  and  to  the  engine,  or  the  nearest  car  which  is 
coupled  to-  the  engine,  and  the  truck  will  pull  onto 


WKECKING.  257 

the  track  easily,  if  there  is  nothing  to  obstruct  its 
passage. 

TO    CONNECT    BROKEN    CHAINS. 

10  A  link  made  of  iron  or  steel,  and  fashioned 
after  the  pattern  shown  in  Fig.  31,  is  very  handy  to 
have  when  at  a  wreck,  pulling  cars  or  engines  with  a 
chain.  If  a  chain  breaks  the  two  broken  ends  can  be 
brought  together,  and  fixed  in  this  link  as  if  held  with 
a  grab  hook. 


FIG.  31. 

TO  TUKN  A  CAB  TRUCK  ON  SOFT  GROUND. 

11.  When  car  trucks  are  sunk  in  soft  ground  at  a 
wreck,  and  thfre  is  no  derrick  car  or  other  lifting  ap- 
paratus at  hand,  a  good  way  to  handle  them  is  to 
place  a  tie  cross  way  in  the  ground,  about  four  or  five 
feet  from  the  truck,  then  place  two  more  long  ties  or 
timbers,  with  their  centers  resting  across  the  first  tie, 
and  their  ends  in   front  of  the  truck  wheels.     The 
truck  can  then  be  pushed  up  on  top  of  the  long  ties 
as  if  on  a  track.    When  it  is  centered  over  the  bottom 
tie,  the  truck  can  be  easily  turned  to  run  in  any  di- 
rection. 

TO  PUT  A  WRECKED  GRAVEL  PLOW  BACK  ON  CARS 

12.  Trackmen  in  charge  of  a  ballasting  outfit  if  they 
are  new  at  the  business,  are  often  at  a  loss  to  know 
the  quickest  way  to  put  a  plow  back  on  the  cars,  if  it 
should  accidentally  be  pulled  off  on  the  ground.     The 
best  way  to  do  in  such  a  case  is  to  roll  the  plow  or 


258  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

pull  it  with  the  engine  and  cable  into  the  same  position 
on  the  track  that  it  would  occupy  on  the  cars ;  then 
raise  up  the  snout  of  the  plow  until  you  can  back  the 
end  of  r  car  under  it,  hook  the  end  of  the  cable  to  the 
plow,  block  the  car  wheels  and  pull  the  plow  on  to 
the  car  with  the  engine. 

SLIDING   A   CAR   ON    A    TIE. 

13.  If  the  hind  truck  of  any  kind  of  a  car  should 
by  accident  be  derailed,  broken,  or  rendered  useless, 
the  car  could  be  taken  to  the  next  station  by  uncoup- 
ling it  from  the  cars  behind  it.     Remove  the  disabled 
truck  from  the   track  ;  then  take  the  caboose  jacks 
and  raise  the  body  of  the  car  enough  to  slip  a  tie 
under  it  across  the  track  rails  ;  let  the  car  down  upon 
the  tie,  and  by  running  carefully  the  car  can  be  hauled 
to  the  station  or  side  track,  sliding  on  the  tie. 

If  sliding  the  disabled  car  on  a  tie  is  not  practical, 
it  is  often  a  good  way  to  block  up  both  ends  of  the 
car  on  ties  and  move  the  forward  truck  under  the 
other  end  of  car  and  haul  it  to  station  with  one  end 
resting  on  the  coupling;  or  put  another  truck  under 
the  forward  end,  that  being  the  most  convenient  way 
in  some  cases. 

LOADED    WRECKED    CARS. 

14.  It  is  always  best,  when  a  wrecked  car  is  loaded, 
to  remove  the  load,  or  transfer  it  to  another  car  on  the 
good  track.     Outfits  starting  to  go  to  a  wreck  should 
provide  themselves  with  all  tools  and  appliances  nec- 
essary for  this  purpose. 

BROKEN    CENTER    PINS. 

15.  Car-truck  center  pins,  which  have  been  twisted 
or   broken  in   a  wreck,   may  be     removed  by  going 


WRECKING.  259 

inside  the  car,  and  cutting  away  with  a  hammer  and 
cold  chisel  the  iron  ring  which  forms  the  head  and 
shoulder  of  the  pin.  The  pin  may  then  be  driven 
down  through  the  bottom  of  the  car. 

There  should  always  be  a  man  on  hand  at  a  wreck 
to  look  efter  such  jobs,  and  promptly  remove  all  bro- 
ken break-beams,  hanging  irons,  etc.,  so  as  not  to  de- 
lay the  work  after  the  cars  are  picked  up,  or  ready  to 
be  put  upon  the  track. 

PULLING  ON  A  CHAIN  OR  ROPE. 

16.  When  pulling  on  a  chain  or  rope  with  a  loco- 
motive at  a  wreck,  care  should  be  taken  not  to  have 
too  much  slack,  as  chains  break  easily.     The  same  is 
true  of  switch  ropes,  but  when  they  are  new  or  not 
much  worn,  they  will  stand  a  greater  slack  strain  than 
a  chain  will.    Wire  cables  are  preferable  to  either  a 
chain  or  a    rope,  for  pulling,  and  they  will  stand  a 
much  greater  slack  strain,  if  not  allowed  to  become 
twisted  out  of  shape. 

There  is  always  danger  of  chains  or  switch  ropes 
breaking  when  engines  are  pulling  on  them  at  a  wreck, 
and  those  working  near  should  not  be  allowed  to  stand 
too  close  to  them. 

A    DEAD    MAN. 

17.  What  is  generally  termed  "a  dead  man"  is  a 
device  sometimes  used  to  anchor  a  guy  or  stay  ropej 
where  wrecking  cars,  engines  or  derricks  have  to  do 
very  heavy  hoisting  or  pulling.     It  is  made  by  digging 
a  trench  five  or  six  feet  deep,  at  a  proper  distance 
from   the  track  and  parallel  to  it.     A  narrow   cross 
trench  is  then  dug,  slanting  upward  from  the  bottom 
and  middle  of  the  first  trench,  to  the  surface  of  the 


260  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

ground.  A  good  track  tie  or  heavy  timber  is  then 
buried  in  the  first  trench,  and  the  rope  is  passed  down 
through  the  cross  trench  and  secured  to  the  timber 

WRECKED    ENGINES.* 

18.  The  first  thing  to  do  with  a  wrecked  engine, 
if  the  frame  is  good,  is  to  take  jacks  and  put  the  en- 
gine in  an  upright  position,  such  as  it  would  occupy 
if  standing  on  the  main  track.     It  may  then  be  blocked 
up  and  raised  sufficiently  to  place  under  it  rails  and 
ties,  forming   a   temporary  track.     The  main   track 
should  then  be  cut  at  a  rail  joint,  and  lined  out  in  an 
easy  curve  until  the  ends  of  the  rails  are  in  line  with 
the  temporary  track.     The  tracks  should  then  be  con- 
nected and  the  engine  pulled  upon  the  main  track. 
If  the  engine  stands  at  such  an  angle  as  to  require  a 
very  sharp  curve  in  the  track  over  which  it  is  pulled, 
put  plenty  of  oil  on  the  track  rails,  and  elevate  the 
outside  rail  of  the  curve. 

If  the  engine  is  only  off  the  rails,  and  still  on  the 
track  ties,  additional  rails  may  be  spiked  down  to  the 
ties  in  front  of  the  wheels  like  a  switch  lead,  and  con- 
nected with  a  pair  of  the  track  rails.  The  engine 
may  be  pulled  on  again  over  this  lead  and  the  main 
track  closed.  This  method  is  quicker  and  better,  for 
putting  a  derailed  engine .  on  the  track  when  more 
than  one  truck  is  off  the  rails,  than  using  frogs  or 
blocking. 

HOW   TO   WORK   AT   A   WRECK. 

19.  The  first  thing  to  do  at  any  wreck  of  import- 

*  When  there  is  a  wreck  of  any  giv  at  importance,  such  as  is  liable  to  delay 
traffic  on  a  line  for  a  considerable  period,  if  it  is  possible,  a  track  should 
be  laid  around  the  wreck,  and  should  it  be  difficult  to  secure  the  necetsary 
material  for  such  purpose  within  a  reasonable  time,  it  might  be  well  to  take 
up  the  nearest  side  track  and  use  the  material  for  the  purpose  mentioned. 


WKECKING.  261 

ance,  where  cars  block  the  main  track,  is  to  use  the 
first  locomotive  which  can  be  put  into  service,  and 
with  switch  ropes  pull  clear  of  the  tracks  all  cars, 
trucks,  or  other  wreckage  which  cannot  be  readily  put 
back  on  the  track  with  the  facilities  at  hand  for  doing 
such  work.  Proper  care  should  be  taken,  in  doing 
this  part  of  the  work,  not  to  injure  freight  in  the  cars. 
When  necessary,  remove  it  from  the  wrecked  cars  to 
a  place  of  safety,  and  pull  the  cars  and  trucks  into  a 
position  alongside  the  track,  where  it  will  be  handy 
for  the  wrecking  car  to  pick  them  up  after  it  arrives. 

The  moment  the  track  is  clear  of  wreckage,  the  track 
force  should  go  to  work  and  repair  it,  and  quickly 
put  it  in  good  condition  for  trains. 

Track  Foremen  should  not  allow  their  men  to 
become  confused  or  mixed  up  with  the  other  gangs  of 
men  which  are  present  at  a  wreck,  except  when  it  is 
necessary  for  more  than  one  gang  of  men  to  work 
together  ;  even  then  the  Foreman  should  keep  his  own 
men  as  much  together  as  possible,  so  as  to  always  be 
able  to  control  their  actions  and  work  them  to  the 
best  advantage. 

No  matter  what- part  of  the  work  at  a  wreck  a  Fore- 
man is  called  upon  to  do,  he  should  act  promptly,  and 
work  with  a  will  to  get  the  wreck  cleared  up,  and  the 
track  ready  for  the  passage  of  trains  with  as  little 
delay  as  possible. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 
CHAPTEK  X. 

1,  Work  Train  Service— 2,  To  Whom  Responsible— 3,  Track  Inspection— 1, 
Longer  Rails— 5,  Hints  to  Section  Foremen— 6,  Section  Record— 7,  Aver- 
age Day's  Work  for  One  Man— 8,  Track  Bolts— 9,  Spikes— 10,  Number  of 
Spikes— 11,  Tons  of  Rails  Required  for  One  Mile  of  Track  -12,  Number 
of  Cross  Ties  Required  for  Each  Mile  of  Track— 13,  Length  of  Rail  and 
Nnmber  of  Joints,  Jsplices,  and  Bolts,  for  Each  Mile  of  Track— 14,  Weight 
per  Yard,  per  30  Foot  Rail,  and  Tons  per  Mile— 15,  Lumber  Table— 16, 
Standards  of  Weights  and  Measures— 17,  Speed  Table  for  Trains— 18, 
Table  of  Wages  on  a  Basis  of  10  Hours  per  Day— 19,  Table  of  Wages,  1 
cent  to  $2.00  for  any  part  of  30  days. 

WORK    TRAIN    SERVICE. 

1.  Trackmen  who  are  in  charge  of  work  train  gangs 
should  make  it  their  business  to  keep  the  men  em- 
ployed whenever  the  train  is  delayed  in  the  regular 
work.  There  is  always  plenty  of  work  along  the  track 
at  any  point.  A  good  Foreman  will  have  his  work 
laid  out  ahead,  so  there  will  not  be  any  delays,  except 
those  which  are  unavoidable. 

When  possible,  it  is  always  best  to  put  a  good  prac- 
tical workman  in  charge  of  a  gang  of  men  on  a  work 
train.  It  is  poor  economy  to  have  an  inexperienced 
trainman  in  charge  of  a  work  train  and  a  large  crew 
of  men,  as  is  often  the  case.  When  the  position  of 
Foreman  over  the  men  and  Conductor  of  the  work- 
train  is  held  by  one  person,  the  preference  should  be 
given  to  a  Trackman  if  competent  to  run  the  train,  or 


MISCELLANEOUS.  263 

to  a  man  who  has  some  experience   in  both  branches 
of  the  service. 

TO    WHOM    RESPONSIBLE. 

2.  Work  train  Conductors  and  Foremen  of  gravel 
pits,  or  of  steam  shovel  outfits,  should  receive  their 
working  orders  from,  and  be  strictly  responsible  to 
the   Roadmaster,  on   whatever  division  of  the  road 
they  are  working  at  the  time.    Work  train  Conductors 
should  report  daily  to  the  Roadmaster  on  blank  forms 
furnished  for   that   purpose,  and,  if   required,  they 
should  also  report  to  the  Division  Superintendent. 
They  should  also  make  a  lay  up  report  to  the  Train 
Dispatcher  every  evening  after  quitting  for  the  day, 
and  inform  him  where  the  train  will  work  the  follow- 
ing day. 

Work  trains  should  always  lay  up  over  night  at  a 
telegraph  station. 

Conductors  of  work  trains  should  see  that  the  axle 
boxes  of  all  the  cars  in  their  trains  are  properly 
packed,  and  oiled  as  often  as  necessary,  and  that  all 
defects  in  rolling  stock  or  track,  where  the  train  is 
working,  are  repaired.  All  accidents  to  cars,  and  any- 
thing which  would  interfere  with  or  delay  the  work 
should  be  reported  promptly  to  the  Roadmaster  or 
Superintendent,  so  that  they  may  be  quickly  reme- 
died. 

TRACK   INSPECTION. 

3.  There  should  be  a  well  organized  system   of 
track  inspection  in  force  on  every  railroad,   and   it 
should  be  made  efficient  in  proportion  to  the  amount 
of  traffic  arid  the  condition  of  the  track. 

,  On  roads  where  only  ten  trains  a  day  or  less  pass 
over  track,  an  arrangement  could  be  made  to  have 


264  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

the  Section  Foreman,  on  days  on  which  his  work 
would  not  call  him  to  the  end  of  his  section,  send  a 
man  over  to  examine  the  track  from  whatever  point 
the  gang  were  working  and  whenever  there  would  be 
economy  in  it,  the  hand  car  could  be  run  to  the  end  of 
the  section  in  preference  to  sending  a  man  over  on 
foot. 

The  writer  does  not  believe  it  is  good  policy  to 
force  the  Section  Foreman  to  go  over  all  his  track 
daily,  on  long  sections,  during  the  summer  months, 
when  there  is  but  few  trains  and  plenty  of  work  for 
him  to  do  with  a  small  crew  of  men.  But  in  case  of 
storms  all  track  should  be  examined  day  or  night. 

When  a  railroad  is  double  tracked,  or  there  is  a 
large  number  of  trains  daily  over  a  single  track,  a 
regular  track-walker  should  be  employed,  whose  busi- 
ness would  be  to  go  over  the  whole  section  once  a  day 
in  each  direction,  and  to  be  required  to  report  to  the 
Section  Foreman,  and  also  to  the  station  agent  or  ope- 
rator, when  there  is  a  depot  at  both  ends  of  section. 

The  track-walker  should  so  time  his  passage  over 
the  section  as  to  be  able  to  see  all  the  track  or  at  least 
the  most  dangerous  points,  a  short  time  ahead  of  pass- 
enger trains;  and  when  most  of  the  trains  run  at 
night,  his  examination  of  tracks  should  be  made  alto- 
gether at  night,  the  section  crew  or  another  track- 
walker looking  after  it  in  the  daytime. 

During  the  winter  months,  when  the  ground  is 
frozen  solid,  a  rule  obligating  the  Section  Foreman  to 
see  all  his  section  daily,  should  be  strictly  enforced, 
because  at  that  time  of  year  the  danger  of  accidents  is 
greater,  and  the  amount  of  general  track  work  that 
can  be  done  is  much  less  than  at  other  seasons  of  the 
year. 


MISCELLANEOUS.  265 

During  extremely  cold  or  stormy  weather  is  just 
the  time  that  track  most  needs  to  be  examined,  and  in 
order  to  insure  inspection  of  track  at  least  once  a  day, 
I  would  recommend  that,  when  it  is  not  possible  to 
run  a  hand  car,  the  Section  Foreman  with  one  of  his 
men  be  allowed  to  ride  one  way  on  trains,  against  the 
storm  to  the  next  station  or  to  the  end  of  his  section 
and  return  back  over  the  track  on  foot  carrying  what 
signals  and  tools  would  be  necessary  in  case  of  an 
emergency. 

The  conditions  are  so  varied  on  different  railroads 
and  sometimes  on  small  divisions  of  a  railroad  that 
the  writer  believes  each  company  can  best  organize  a 
system  of  track  inspection  which  in  the  judgment  of 
its  officers  would  be  best  suited  to  its  wants.  The  fore- 
going methods  are  only  offered  as  suggestions  from 
which  something  more  useful  might  be  designed. 

LONGER   RAILS. 

4.  Why  should  the  length  of  a  track  rail  be  only 
30  feet  if  it  can  be  demonstrated  that  there  is  econo- 
my in  using  a  rail  36  feet  in  length  or  longer?  A 
rail  12  yards  long,  80  pounds  to  the  yard,  weighs  less 
than  1,000  pounds,  and  as  it  does  not  require  to  be 
handled  a  second  time  until  it  has  laid  in  the  track  a 
number  of  years,  I  think  there  can  be  but  little  objec- 
tion to  the  increase  in  the  weight  of  a  rail  with  regard 
to  the  handling;  and  further,  when  such  a  rail  is  taken 
out  of  the  track  after  long  service,  to  have  the  bat- 
tered ends  sawed  off,  it  would  still  make  a  good,  long 
rail;  far  ahead  of  the  cut  steel  rails  which  are  used 
second  hand  nowadays. 

The  use  of  rails  12  yards  long  will  take  one-sixth  of 
the  joints  out  of  track,  which  means  one  hundred 


266  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

miles  of  joints  out  of  a  track  six  hundred  miles  in 
length.  This  is  no  small  item  to  consider,  saving,  as 
it  does,  3,500  Ibs.  of  angle  bar  splices  to  the  mile,  and 
360  bolts,  not  including  those  bolts  used  to  replace 
broken  ones  during  the  life  of  the  rails.  There  are 
also  360  nut  locks  saved  per  mile  besides  the  labor 
required  to  put  on  these  fastenings  and  keep  the  track 
in  repair  at  the  joints.  Taking  all  things  into  account 
I  think  a  big  saving  could  be  effected  annually  in 
the  cost  of  maintaining  any  ordinary  main  track,  and 
the  amount  which  could  be  saved  in  the  first  cost 
would  be  more  than  a  million  dollars  in  laying  all  the 
tracks  of  one  of  the  largest  railroads.  Every  track- 
man knows  that  the  rail  joint  requires  more  labor  than 
any  other  part  of  the  track,  and  for  this  reason  alone 
I  would  advise  making  their  number  less.  I  think 
when  considering  the  question,  whether  it  is  advisa- 
ble to  use  a  longer  track  rail,  the  only  objection  of 
any  consequence  that  could  be  raised,  would  be  on 
account  of  expansion  and  contraction,  and  the  extremes 
of  temperature  of  the  locality  in  which  the  rails  are 
to  be  laid  will  determine  to  a  great  extent  what  should 
be  the  limit  to  the  length  of  the  track  rail  if  used  with 
the  present  joint  fastenings. 

Investigation  should  be  made  to  find  out  what  is  the 
greatest  possible  length  of  rail  that  may  be  used  with- 
out injuriously  affecting  the  track.  I  am  of  the  opin- 
ion that  a  rail  thirty-six  feet  long  can  be  used  with 
the  joint  fastenings  now  in  use,  in  more  than  half  of 
the  United  States,  and  where  the  extremes  of  temper- 
ature are  within  a  range  of  one  hundred  degrees,  a 
much  longer  rail  may  be  used;  for  instance,  below 
the  frost  line  in  the  Southern  States. 


MISCELLANEOUS.  267 

The  theory  of  a  continuous  track  with  the  joints 
welded  by  electricity,  and  the  expansion  and  contrac- 
tion controlled  by  split  rails  put  in  at  intervals  along 
the  track,  has  many  objections,  as  have  also  some 
other  new  methods  which  were  proposed  as  a  means 
of  lessening  the  number  of  joints  in  tracks,  while  but 
few,  if  any,  objections  of  any  consequence  can  be 
brought  against  the  method  advocated  in  this  book, 
and  it  seems  to  me  there  can  be  no  question  that  such 
a  rail  will  make  a  smoother  riding  and  a  safer  track 
than  one  thirty  feet  long,  and  effect  a  great  saving  in 
first  cost,  labor  and  maintenance. 

HINTS   TO   SECTION   FOREMEN. 

5.  Track  Foremen  should  be  respectful  to  his 
superior  officers  without  being  servile,  and  when 
talking  or  writing  to  them  he  should  show  a  confi- 
dence in  himself  without  making  too  mach  of  an 
exhibition  of  self  conceit  or  stubbornness,  either  of 
which  will  only  be  awarded  with  their  ridicule  or  con- 
tempt. A  man  who  is  placed  over  other  men  should 
have  a  will  power  strong  enough  to  control  them  and 
maintain  his  authority  without  being  either  abusive 
or  profane.  To  bulldoze  an  inferior  is  not  the  way 
to  either  instruct  him  or  gain  his  respect. 

Foremen  who  can  keep  good  men,  and  secure  more 
men  when  wanted,  are  more  valuable  to  a  railroad 
company  than  those  who  frequently  discharge  men 
and  who  seldom  have  help  when  it  is  needed. 

Try  to  gain  the  respect  of  your  men  and  you  will 
have  faithful  workers.  To  do  this  it  is  not  necessary 
that  you  be  too  familiar  with  them. 

If  you  have  a  man  working  for  you  who  will  not  do 
the  work  as  you  instruct  him,  discharge  him  and  get 


268  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

some  man  who  will.  But  do  not  work  along  in  a 
groove,  and  think  you  have  learned  it  all,  and  if  any 
of  your  men  suggest  something  which  you  know  to  be 
an  improvement  do  not  be  ashamed  to  adopt  it. 

Track  Foremen  should  learn  the  habit  of  studying 
out  the  best  method  of  doing  each  piece  of  work  on 
which  they  are  engaged,  and  when  practicable  have 
the  work  planned  out  before  hand.  The  mind  can 
often  do  more  than  the  hands. 

A  good  Track  Foreman  will  have  a  keen  interest  in 
his  work,  and  be  ambitious  to  show  good  results  as 
well  the  last  day  he  works  for  a  company,  as  when  he 
was  first  promoted  from  the  shovel. 

Foremen  who  are  not  prompt  in  executing  the 
orders  of  the  Roadmaster,  and  who  often  do  work  in  a 
way  contrary  to  that  in  which  they  have  been 
instructed,  seldom  hold  a  position  long  on  any  road. 
This  kind  of  men,  together  with  that  class  which 
frequent  saloons  and  get  drunk  occasionally,  consti- 
tute about  nine-tenths  of  the  Section  Foremen  who 
are  discharged  for  cause.  Headmasters  very  seldom 
discharge  a  Foreman  for  his  want  of  knowledge  about 
some  particular  piece  of  work,  and  they  are  always 
willing  to  give  information  as  to  the  best  method  of 
doing  work  when  asked  for  it.  Whenever  a  Track 
Foreman  begins  to  think  his  work  is  too  hard  and  his 
pay  is  too  small,  or  that  the  officers  of  the  road  are 
not  using  him  right,  he  becomes  careless  and  loses 
all  interest  in  the  work.  That  man  should  quit  at 
once  and  go  hunt  a  job  in  some  other  place  where  he 
might  be  better  satisfied  and  appreciated.  Every 
Track  Foreman  should  make  a  continued  effort  to 
elevate  his  profession  and  make  it  respectable.  Be 


MISCELLANEOUS.  269 

sober,   honest   and     industrious    and     you    will     be 
successful. 

SECTION    RECORD. 

6.  I  would  like  to  call  the  attention  of  Trackmen 
generally,  and  especially  Section  Foremen,  to  the 
importance  of  keeping  a  record  of  everything  con- 
nected with  the  piece  of  track  in  their  charge. 
Every  Foreman  should  know  the  length  of  his  section, 
the  amount  of  straight  and  curve  track,  the  degree  of 
every  curve,  the  different  brands  of  steel  or  iron  rail, 
how  much  of  each  and  -when  laid.  He  should  also 
know  the  number  of  cuts  on  his  section  and  the 
amount  of  snow  fence,  if  any,  on  each  cut;  the  bridge 
and  culverts  numbers  and  highway  or  railroad  cross- 
ings, and  the  distance  they  are  from  his  headquarters; 
and  many  other  facts  of  importance  which  are  very 
valuable  to  assist,  a  man  in  organizing  work,  and 
making  comparisons,  also  that  he  may  be  in  a  position 
to  answer  questions  of  his  superior  officers  as  to 
location  of  places  and  things  without  the  necessity 
of  making  special  examinations  when  the  time  cannot 
well  be  spared.  The  following  example  illustrates  a 
simple  form  for  condensing  the  information  referred 
to,  and  is  a  handy  way  for  Foremen  to  write  it  out  on 
the  pocket  memorandum: 


270 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


SECTION  NO.  10. 

Length  of  Section 6  miles,  1,000  feet. 

"       "  north  side  track 1,600 

"  house  track 1,800   " 

"  south  track..,  .   1.000   " 


BRIDGE  NO. 

NO.    OF    BENTS. 

LENGTH 
OF  SPAN. 

DISTANCE 
FROM    STATION. 

50 
51 

52 

3 
8 
Iron 

30  feet 

100    " 
120    " 

2     miles 
2^     " 
3M     » 

CULVERT  NO. 

BOX.       STONE. 

IRON  PIPE. 

DISTANCE 
FROM    STATION. 

186 

187 
188 

1 
"Y"     '.'.'.'.'.'. 

"  1  " 

1%  miles 

IM  " 

2^    " 

CUTS,  LENGTH 
IN  FEET. 

HEIGHT 
ABOVE  RAIL. 

PANELS  OF 
SNOW  FENCE. 

DISTANCE 
FROM    STATION. 

One  352 
"     488 
"   1260 

4  feet 

8      " 
9     " 

22 

30^ 
89 

3     miles 

1*  :: 

STEEL  BAIL, 
AMOUNT. 

WHEN  LAID. 

BRAND. 

EXTENDS 
FROM    STATION. 

4  miles,  500  ft. 
Iron. 
2  miles,  500  ft. 

1886 
1875 

N.  C.  R.  M.  Co. 
Crawshaw 

West— 
From  Steel  to 
End  of  Section. 

AVERAGE   DAY'S   WORK    FOR   ONE    MAN. 

7.  The  amount  of  labor  given  below  can  each  be 
performed  by  one  good  man  in  one  day,  and  will  serve 
to  show  comparatively  the  relation  existing  between 
the  labor  of  one  man,  and  that  of  a  large  gang  of  men, 
at  any  of  the  different  kinds  of  work  specified: 

ONE   MAN   CAN 

Lay  to  place  on  a  grade  one-eighth  of  a  mile  of  ties; 
Spike  one- tenth  of  a  mile  of  track  laid  on  soft  ties ; 


MISCELLANEOUS. 


271 


Spike  one-fourteenth  of  a  mile  of  track  laid  on  hard  ties ; 

Splice  and  bolt  one-sixth  of  a  mile  of  track ; 

Clean  with  a  shovel  oue-eighth  of  a  mile,  average  weeds; 

Unload  10  cars  of  gravel ; 

Unload  8  cars  of  dirt; 

Load  upon  cars  eighteen  to  twenty -four  yards  of  gravel; 

Load  upon  cars  twenty  to  twenty-five  yarda  of  dirt, 

Load  coal  into  buckets  for  engines,  15  to  80  tons ; 

Unload  coal  cars  into  shed,  35  to  30  tons; 

Put  in  a  dirt  ballast  track  twenty  new  ties; 

Put  in  a  gravel  ballast  track  fifteen  new  ties; 

Put  in  a  stone  ballnst  track  eight  to  ten  new  ties; 

Do  labor  equal  to  ballasting  sixty  feet  gravel  track; 

Do  labor  equal  to  ballasting  thirty-five  feet  stone  track; 

Chop  two  cords  four-foot  wood; 

Make  fifteen  to  twenty-five  hard  wood  ties; 

Make  thirty-five  to  forty  soft  wood  ties; 

Sixty  men  can  lay  one  mile  of  track  in  a  day. 


TRACK   BOLTS. 

8.     The  number  of  bolts  in  a  200  pound  keg  of 
track  bolts,  Hex.  nuts  If  x  2,  is  as  follows: 


SIZE  OF  BOLT. 

NO.  PER  KEG. 

NO.  OF  BOLTS  REQUIRED  FOR  ONE 
MILE  OF  TRACK. 

4  BOLTS  TO  JOINT.  6  BOLTS  TO  JOINT. 

3^xM 
3%  x% 
4      x% 

240 

227 
218 

6      Kegs 
61     " 
6i     " 

84  Kegs 
9*     « 
9|     « 

Bolts  of  the  size  here  given  are  the  ones  now  most 
generally  in  use  on  standard  gage  railroads. 

SPIKES. 

9.  Owing  to  the  difference  in  the  shape  of  the 
heads  and  the  general  form  of  the  body  of  the  spikes 
manufactured  by  the  different  companies  who  furnish 
railroad  supplies,  it  is  not  possible  to  make  a  table 
which  would  show  the  correct  number  of  spikes,  of  all 
sizes,  per  keg  of  150  or  200  pounds  weight.  The 


272 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


spikes    most  commonly    used  to  spike  narrow  gage 
and  standard  gage  tracks  are  as  follows: 


SIZE 

AVERAGE  NO.  PEK  WEIGHT    PBK  TAKD 

NO.  OF 

KEG  OF  200  LBS. 

OF  KAILS  USED. 

KEGS  PEK  MILB. 

4      x    X 

600 

25 

18 

41^  x    X 

525 

35 

21 

5      x    X 

448 

35  to  45 

24 

378 

45  to  75 

28 

To  ascertain  the  number  of  spikes  in  a  keg,  for  any 
size  of  spike  not  mentioned  in  the  table:  Divide  the 
full  weight  of  a  keg  of  spikes,  less  the  keg,  by  the 
weight  of  one  spike,  and  the  quotient  will  be  the 
number  of  spikes  contained  in  the  keg. 

NUMBER   OP   SPIKES. 

10.  A  200  pound  keg  contains  on  an  average  378 
spikes,  5^  x  9-16. 

The  following  table  shows  the  number  of  ties,  30 
foot  rails,  and  feet  of  track  that  can  be  spiked  in  full, 
by  different  numbers  of  kegs  of  spikes,  5^  x  9-16 
inches: 


NO.  OP  KEGSS^X  ft. 

NO.  OF  TIES. 

30  FOOT  KAILS. 

FEET  OF  TRACK 

I... 

94^ 

6  I 

190 

2  
3  

189 
283^ 

12! 

184! 

380 
570 

4                

378 

354 

760 

5               

472J^ 

31  J 

945 

6 

567 

37  f 

1135 

7 

661^ 

44  A 

1330(}4m) 

14 

1323 

88  t 

2640(^m) 

28  

2646 

176  § 

•5280(lm) 

There  is  no  allowance  made  in  the  above  table  for 
broken  spikes.  The  number  is  often  larger  when 
laying  new  track,  and  Foremen  may  find  it  necessary 
to  order  one  or  more  kegs  than  the  amount  given  in 
this  table. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 


273 


TONS  OF  RAILS  REQUIRED  FOR  ONE  MILE  OF  TRACK. 

11.  RULE:— To  find  the  number  of  tons  (2240)  of 
rails  to  the  mile:  Divide  the  weight  per  yard  by  7, 
and  multiply  the  quotient  by  11.  Thus  for  56  pound 
rail,  56  divided  7  equals  8,  multiplied  by  11,  equals 
88  tons  of  rails  to  one  mile  of  single  track. 


Weight  of  Rail 
Per  Yard. 

Tons  Per  Mile. 

Weight  of  Rail 
Per  Yard. 

Tons  per 

mile. 

Pounds. 

Tons. 

Pounds. 

Pounds. 

Tons.    Pounds. 

12 

12 

920 

64 

100 

1280 

14 

22 

65 

102 

320 

16 

25 

320 

68 

106 

1920 

18 

28 

640 

70 

110 

20 

31 

960 

72 

113 

320 

22 

34 

1280 

75 

•117 

1920 

25 

39 

640 

76 

119 

960 

26 

40 

1920 

77 

121 

27 

42 

960 

78 

122 

1280 

28 

44 

79 

124 

320 

30 

47 

320 

80 

125 

1600 

33 

51 

1920 

81 

12. 

640 

35 

55 

82 

128 

1920 

40 

62 

1920 

83 

IhO 

930 

45 

70 

1600 

84 

132 

48 

75 

960 

85 

133 

1280 

50 

78 

1280 

86 

135 

320 

52 

81 

1610 

87 

136 

1600 

56 

88 

88 

138 

640 

57 

89 

1280 

89 

139 

1920 

60 

94 

640 

90 

141 

960 

62      97- 

960 

91 

143 

12. 


NUMBER   OF   CROSS-TIES    REQUIRED    FOR  EACH 
MILE  OF  TRACK. 


DISTANCE  PROM  CENTRE  TO  CENTRE. 


1  foot  6 inches. . . 

1  foot  9 inches.. . 

2  feet 

2  feet  3 inches... 
2  feet  6 inches... 

2  feet  9 inches... 

3  feet 


NO.  OF  TIES. 

3520 
3017 
2640 
2348 
2113 
1921 
1761 


274 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


13. 


LENGTH  OF  RAIL  AND    NUMBER   OF   JOINTS,  SPLI- 
CES, AND  BOLTS,  FOR  EACH  MILE  OF  TRACK. 


LENGTH  OF  KAIL. 

NO.  OF  BAILS 
OR  JOINTS. 

NO.  OF  SPLICES. 

NO.  OF  BOLTS 
4  PEB"  JOINT 

20  feet 

528 

1056 

2112 

21  " 

503 

1006 

2012 

22  " 

480 

960 

1920 

23  " 

459 

918 

1836 

24  " 

440 

8SO 

1760 

25  " 

422 

844 

1688 

26  " 

406 

812 

1624 

27  " 

391 

782 

1564 

28  " 

377 

754 

1508 

29  " 

364 

728 

1456 

30  " 

352 

704 

1408 

31  " 

340 

680 

1360 

32  " 

330 

660 

1320 

33  " 

320 

640 

1280 

34  " 

310 

620 

1240 

35  " 

302 

604 

1208 

36  " 

292 

584 

1168 

14. 


WEIGHT  PER  YARD,  PER  30  FOOT  RAIL,  AND 
TONS  PER  MILE. 


No.  Ibs- 
per  yard 
of  rail- 

Weight  of 
a  30-foot 
Rail. 

Tons  of  Iron  or 
Steel  per  Mile 
of  Track. 

No.  Ibs 
per  yard 
of  rail. 

Weight  of 
a  30-foot 
Rail. 

Tons  of  Iron  or 
Steel  per  Mile 
of  Track. 

Tons.    Ibs. 

Tons.    Ibs. 

5 

50 

8    1600 

69 

690 

121      880 

30 

300 

52    1600 

70 

700 

123      400 

35 

350 

61    1200 

71 

710 

124     1900 

40 

400 

70     800 

72 

720 

126     1440 

45 

450 

79     400 

73 

730 

128      960 

50 

500 

88 

74 

740 

130     480 

51 

510 

89    1520 

75 

750 

132 

52 

520 

91    1040 

76 

760 

133     1520 

58 

530 

93     560 

77 

770 

135     1040 

54 

540 

95      80 

78 

780 

137      560 

55 

550 

96    1600 

79 

790 

139      80 

56 

560 

98    1120 

80 

800 

140     1600 

57 

570 

100     640 

81 

810 

142     1120 

58 

580 

102     160 

82 

820 

144     640 

59 

590 

103    1680 

83 

830 

146     1160 

60 

600 

105    1200 

84 

840 

147     1680 

61 

610 

107     720 

85 

850 

149     1200 

62 

620 

109     640 

86 

860 

151      720 

63 

633 

110    1760 

87 

870 

153     240 

64 

640 

112    1280 

88 

880 

154     1760 

65 

650 

114     800 

89 

890 

156     1280 

66 

660 

116     820 

90 

900 

158      800 

67 

670 

117    1840 

100 

1000 

176 

68 

680 

119    1305 

MISCELLANEOUS. 


275 


One  pound  more  or  less  in  weight  per  yard  of  rail 
makes  a  difference  of  one  ton  and  1,520  pounds  in  the 
weight  per  mile.  The  table  No.  14  will  enable  any 
Track  Foreman  to  see  at  a  glance  the  exact  amount  of 
iron  or  steel  required  per  mile  of  track,  if  he  knows 
the  weight  per  yard  of  rail  which  he  is  using,  or  about 
to  order  for  his  division.  For  smaller  amounts  than 
one  mile  (if  using  30  foot  rails)  multiply  the  number 
of  rails  required  by  the  weight  of  rail  given  in  second 
column,  and  divide  by  2,000  Ibs.  to  reduce  to  tons. 

15.  LUMBER  TABLE— SHOWING  NUMBER  OP  FEET, 
BOARD  MEASURE,  CONTAINED  IN  A  PIECE  OF  JOIST, 
SCANTLING  OR  TIMBER  OF  THE  SIZES  GIVEN. 


SIZE  IN  INCHES. 

LKNQTH  IN  FEET  OF  JOISTS,  SCANTLING  AND  TIMBER. 

12 

14 

16 

18J20 

22  24 

2(5 

28 

30 

42 

44 

45 

2x  4  
2x  6  
2x  8...  
2x10  
2x12 

8 
12 

16 
20 
24 
12 
18 
24 
30 

9 

14 
19 
23 
28 
14 
21 
28 
35 
42 
19 
28 
37 
47 
56 
42 
5(5 
70 
84 
<5 
93 
112 
117 
140 
168 
196 
22', 

11 

16 
21 
27 
32 
16 
24 
32 
40 
48 
21 
32 
43 
53 
64 
48 
64 
80 
96 
85 
107 
128 
133 
160 
192 
221 
2(51 

12 

18 
24 
30 
36 
18 
27 
3(5 
45 
54 
24 
36 
48 
60 
72 
54 
79 

90 
108 
96 
120 
144 
150 
180 

2it; 

252 
294 

13 

20 
27 
33 

40 
20 
30 
40 
50 
60 
27 
40 
53 
67 
80 
60 
80 
100 
120 
107 
133 
160 
167 
200 
210 
2SO 
327 

15 

22 
29 
37 
44 
22 
33 
44 
55 
66 
29 
44 
59 
73 
88 
66 
88 
lie 

132 
117 
147 
176 

183 
220 
204 
30S 
359 

1(5 
2i 
32 
40 

48 
24 
36 
48 
60 
72 
32 
48 
64 
80 
96 
72 
96 
120 
144 
128 
160 
192 
200 
240 
28S 
336 
392 

17 

2(5 
35 

43 
52 
26 
39 
52 
65 
78 
35 
52 
69 
87 
104 
78 
104 
130 
156 
139 
173 
208 
217 
260 
312 
364 
425 

19 
28 
37 
47 
56 
28 
42 
56 
70 
84 
37 
56 
75 
93 
112 
84 
112 
140 
168 
149 
187 
224 
233 
280 
330 
392 
457 

20 
30 
40 
50 
60 
30 
45 
60 
75 
90 
40 
60 
80 
100 
120 
90 
120 
150 
180 
160 
200 
240 
250 
300 
360 
420 
490 

28 
42 
53 
70 
84 
42 
(53 
84 
105 
126 
56 
84 
112 
140 
1(58 
126 
168 
210 
250 
224 
2SO 
336 

:JT>O 

420 

504 

58h 
68f 

29 

44 
58 
74 
88 
44 
6(5 
fS 
110 
132 
58 
88 
118 
146 
176 
132 
176 
220 
265 
234 
291 
352 

366 

440 

52S 

oir 

716 

30 

45 
60 
75 

90 
45 
68 
90 
113 
135 
60 
90 
120 
1.50 
180 
135 
180 
225 
270 
240 
300 
360 
375 
450 
500 
630 
735 

3x  4  

3x  6  
3x  8  
3x10 

3x12  
4x  4  
4x  6  
4x  8. 

36 
16 

24 
32 
40 
48 
36 
48 
60 
72 
64 
80 
96 
WO 
120 
144 
lOb 
196 

4x10 

4x12  
6x  6  
6x  8  
6x10 

6x12 

8x  8  

8x10  

8x12  
10x10  
10x12  

12x12  

12x14. 

14x14  

276  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


16.      STANDARDS   OF  WEIGHTS   AND   MEASURES. 
CUBIC   MEASURE. 

1,728  cubic  inches,  one  cubic  foot ;  27  cubic  feet  one  yard. 

A  perch  of  masonry  is  25  cubic  feet. 

A  cord  of  masonry  is  generally  figured  at  100  cubic  feet. 

Three  bushels  of  lime  and  one  yard  of  sand  will  lay  a  cord  of  stone. 

Two  cubic  feet  of  sound,  dry  corn  will  make  one  bushel  shelled  corn. 

There  are  twenty  common  bricks  to  a  cubic  foot  of  wall  when  laid. 

Thickness  of  wall  one  brick  average  number  per  square  foot  =  14. 

A  cubic  foot  of  ice  weighs  58  pounds. 

ADout  500  cubic  feet  of  hay  in  a  mow  will  weigh  a  ton. 

422 cubic  feet  well  settled  hay  weighs  a  ton. 

7%  cubic  yards  of  hay  and  about  12  cubic  yards  of  dry  clover  measured 
from  stacks  will  weigh  a  ton. 

A  cord  of  wood  is  4  feet  high,  4  feet  wide  and  8  feet  long,  or  equal  to  128 
cubic  feet. 

SQUARE   MEASURE. 

144  square  Inches  1  square  foot,  9  square  feet  1  square  yard,  30J4  square 
yards  1  square  rod,  40  square  rods  1  rood,  40  roods  1  acre. 

SURVEYOR'S  MEASURE. 

7.92  inches  1  link,  25  links  1  rod,  4  rods  1  chain,  10  square  chains  or  160 
square  rods  1  acre,  640  acres  1  square  mile. 

LONG   MEASURE. 

3  barleycorns  1  inch,   12  inches  1  foot,  3  feet  1  yard,  5J4  yards  1  rod,  40 
rods  1  furlong,  8  furlongs  1  mile. 

DRY   MEASURE. 

2  pints  make  1  quart,  8  quarts  1  peck,  4  pecks  make  i  bushel. 
LIQUID   OR   WINE   MEASURE. 

4  gills  make  1  pint,  2  pints  make  1  quart,  4  quarts  make  1  gallon,  31>4  gal- 
lons make  1  barrel,  2  barrels  make  1  hogshead. 

AVOIRDUPOIS   WEIGHT. 

16  drachms  make  1  ounce,  16  ounces  make  1  pound,  25  pounds  make  1 
quarter,  4  quarters  make  100  weight,  2,000  pounds  make  1  ton. 

CIRCULAR   MEASURE. 

60  seconds  make  1  minute,  60  minutes  make  1  degree,  30  degrees,  make  1 
sign,  90  degrees  make  1  quadrant,  4  quadrants  or  360  degrees  make  1  circle. 

TIME   MEASURE. 

60  seconds  make  1  minute,  60  minutes  make  1  hour,  24  hours  make  1  day. 
7  days  1  week,  4  weeks  1  lunar  month ;  28,  29,  30  or  31  days  make  1  calendar 
month  (30  days  make  1  month  in  computing  interest) ;  52  weeks  and  1  day 
or  12  calendar  months  make  1  year. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 


277 


17. 


SPEED  TABLE  FOR  TRAINS. 


Speed  Per 
Hour. 

Time  of  Performing. 

Speed  Per 
Hour. 

Time  of  Performing. 

Miles. 

%  Mile. 

1  Mile. 

Mile-. 

%  Mile.  |  1  Mile. 

Min.  Sec. 

Min.  Sec. 

Min.  Seo. 

Min.   Sec. 

5 

6    0 

12   0 

29 

1   02 

2    04 

6 

5    0 

10   0 

30 

1    0 

2     0 

7 

4   17 

8   34 

31 

0   58 

1    56 

8 

3   45 

7   30 

32 

0   56 

1    52 

9 

3   20 

6   40 

33 

0   54 

1    49 

10 

3    0 

6   0 

34 

0   53 

1    46 

11 

2   43 

5   27 

35 

0   51 

1    43 

12 

2   30 

5   0 

36 

0   50 

1    40 

13 

2   18 

4   37 

37      0   48 

1    37 

14 

2   08  '  4   17 

88     0   47 

1    34 

15 

2    0 

4   0 

39 

0   46 

1    82 

16 

52    3   45 

40 

0   45 

1    30 

17 

46    3   31 

41 

0   43 

1    27 

18 

40    3   20 

42 

0   42 

1    25 

19 

34    3   09 

43 

0   41 

1    23 

20 

80    3   0 

44 

0   40 

1    21 

21 

25 

2   51 

45 

0   40 

1    20 

22 

21 

2   43 

46 

0   89 

18 

23 

18 

2   36 

47 

0   88 

16 

24 

15 

2   30 

48 

0   87% 

15 

25 

12 

2   24 

49 

0   86% 

13% 

26 

09 

2   18 

50 

0   36 

12 

27 

06 

2   13 

55 

0   32% 

05% 

28         04 

2   08 

60 

0   30 

1     0 

The  speed  per  hour  which  any  train  is  making  may 
be  ascertained  by  simply  counting  the  number  of  rail 
joints  which  the  train  passes  over  in  20  seconds  of 
time.  If  the  track  rails  are  30  feet  long,  the  number 
of  joints  passed  in  20  seconds,  is  always  very  nearly 
the  speed  in  miles  per  hour. 


278 


THE   TRACKMAN  S    HELPER. 


CO 


§1    i-t  : 
I    S  ( 


I  a? 

I    co 


8     i  SS 


ii-iG<l 


50^HCC-*i 


MISCELLANEOUS. 


279 


8  I 8888ggggggggg8888§ 


8  I gg88888gg88888ggg8 
£  ! SSSSSSi 


280 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


1^^ 


t-  00  OS  O 


§SS31$SS83S3?? 


T-HC^co-^oor^-GOc^O!— icqcO'^iocDt'-ao^Ot-i 


§S8§S!8S§E58S3g 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


ADVERTISEMENTS.  285 

Roadmasters'  Association  of  America. 


The  next  report  to  be  considered  was  that  on  "Track  Joints,"  and  the  report 
of  the  committee  was  presented  by  Mr.  Murtaugh  ( Central  of  New  Jersey ), 
Chairman.  The  report  is  as  follows : 

This  is  an  age  of  progress  and  inventions,  and  experiments  are  being  con- 
ducted continually  until  it  seems  there  is  nothing  more  needed  to  satisfy  the 
inventive  genius  of  the  age.  It  is  not  necessary  to  recount  the  achievements  of 
the  men  of  genius  of  different  crafts  outside  our  own.  but  it  teaches  us  a  lesson 
which  should  stimulate  us  to  act  with  renewed  vigor  and  energy  to  improve  our 
roadways  in  eve  y  possible  manner  known.  We  should  endeavor  to  mate  our 
annual  report  effective  by  an  intelligent  review  of  railroad  appliances;  we  must 
not  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  we  are  a  deliberative  body  whose  decisions  are  en- 
titled to  some  weight.  Managers  of  railroads  are  anxiously  watching  our  actions 
to  see  if  there  is  not  something  new  and  useful  which  we  could  recommend  that 
would  be  a  benefit  to  their  interests.  Managers  under  whom  we  act  expect  much 
from  us.  As  our  interests  are  co-equal  with  theirs  a  great  responsibility  rests 


with  us.  Let  us  come  to  our  own  field  of  operations  and  see  what  has  been  done 
the  past  year  to  improve  that  part  of  the  railroad  system  forwhose  propermam 
tenance  we  are  held  largely  responsible,  and  decide,  if  possible,  what  can  be 

•       :  its  appurtenances. 

-   -   -    we  nave  arrived  :tt  tne  conclusion  tnattne  track  — 

joint  is  one  ol  the  greatest  factors,  it  not  the  greatest,  in 
the  proper  care  of  rails.  It  is  similar  in  its  use  to  the  key- 
stone of  a  well  constructed  arch :  the  arch  is  composed  of 
manv  parts— the  key  completes  it  and  adds  to  its  strength. 
Your  committee  on  new  track  joints  liave  used  every 
possible  means  to  obtain  all  i  he  knowledge  we  could  in 
regard  to  new  track  joints  by  corresponding  with  parties 
known  to  have  the  latest  improvements  in  joints,  and  also 
by  search  of  papers  having  any  information  as  to  new 
joints  that  have  been  brought  out  since  your  last  conven- 
tion. New  joints  are  not  numerous ;  each  party  known  to 
your  committee  who  has  any  new  joint  was  requested  to 
send  a  sample  joint  here  for  our  inspection,  so  that  after 
a  personal  examination  ve  might  name  such  joints  as  we  deem  worthy  of  a  trial 


test.  All  parties  heard  from  are  willing  to  furnish  a  fair  number  of  joints  for 
a  trial  satisfactory  to  the  Bpadm  asters'  Association.  *  *  *  Courtesies  were 
extended  to  all  makers  of  joints,  and  our  object  has  been  to  endeavor  to  secure 


th j  best  known  track  joint  up  to  the  present  time.  Your  committee  have  exam- 
ined all  joints  sent  to  it,  and  find  that  we  deem  worthy  of  notice  and  of  trial  the 
continuous  rail  joint  (Newark.  N.J.)  and  the  LJ  oa  +  hl  Dail  lrt!n  + 
(Minneapolis).  *  »  *  Your  committee  063111  Kail  JO!  111 

would  suggest,  with  your  pet  mission,  that  the  executive  committee  take  charge 
of  such  trials  and  tests  and  report  to  the  next  convention.  *  *  The  execu- 
tive committee  at  their  meet;ne  Jielcl  in  Chicago  on  October  11, 1890,  selected  the 
following  railroads  on  which  trial  of  the  different  joints  should  be  made,  each 
kind  of  joint  to  be  put  on  one  mile  of  track :  Webber  rail  joint,  on  N.  Y  ,  N.  H. 
&  H.;  Co.1.  Long's  truss  joint,  on  Chicago  &  Northwestern;  McCouway  &  Torley 
Co..  reinforcement  of  the  present  angle  bar.  on  Manhattan  Elevated.  .New  York; 
Fisher  joint  (new  improved),  on  Philadelphia  &  Reading;  Cloud  angle  bars; 
none  known  to  your  committee  to  be  in  use.  All  papers  and  reports  incident  to 
trial  tests  of  above  named  joints  are  hereto  attached,  and  respectfully  submit- 
ted to  this  convention  for  your  action.  B.  MURTAUGH,  Lehigh  Valley,  Ch'm. 
GEO.  E.  DAGGETT.  N.  Y..  N.  H.  fe  H. 


286  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

The  Joyce-Cridland  Go, 


DAYTON,  OHIO. 

Headmasters  who  require  for  ttieir 
track  -work  a 

Track    Jack 

COMBINING  THE  ADVANTAGES  OF 

DURABILITY, 

POWER, 
SURE  GRIP 

AND 

Instantaneous  Trip, 


Will  fiiid  all  these  points 

combined  perfectly  in  our 

Nos.  38  and  39 

GRIP    TRACK    JACKS 

As  Here  Illustrated. 


Send  for  Catalogue  giving  full 
descriptions  to 


The  Joyce-Cridland  Co, 

OHIO. 


ADVERTISEMENTS.  287 

The  Joyce-Cridland  Co,, 


,  OHIO, 

MANUFACTUBEBS  OF 

J.  O.  JOYCE'S  PATENT 

Lever  Jacks, 

Compound  Lever  Jacks, 

Screw  lacks  and  Bench  Vises 

Over  Sixty  Varieties  and  Sizes  of 

Lever  and  Screw  Jacks 

Mostly  for  Railroad   Use. 


-Illustrated   Catalogue   Mailed  on  Application. 


288 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


.  |1|§ 

ciiiiiE* 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 

=  THEH 


GOLDIE 


Railroad  Spike 


IS  THE 

Strongest  and  Most  Durable  Spike 

I]V    THE    WORLD. 

Owing  to  the  Clipped  Point  it  is  More  Easily  Started  and 

Driven  than  the  Common  Spike,  and  we  Guar- 

antee rt  will  not  Turn  in  Driving. 


PITTSBURGH, 

Railroad,  Street  R'y  and  Boat  Spikes. 


290  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

Kalamazoo 

R.R.  Velocipede 

AND 

Car  Co. 


...The  Tire  of 
our  1894  Steel 
Wheel  is  made 
without  a  weld 


KALAMAZOO 

MICH., 

TT.    &. 


MANUFACTURERS  OF 

Many  Styles  Steel  Velocipede  Cars, 
Hand  and  Steam  Inspection  Cars, 
Stee!  Wheeled  Hand  Cars, 
Tracklaying  Cars, 
Iron  and  Steel  Wheeled  Push  Cars, 
Sugar  Cane  Cars,  Mining  Cars, 
Canopy  Top  Cars,  Dump  Cars. 
Metal  Surface  Cattle  Guards. 

Sendfor  Illustrated  Catalogue. 


The  SUREST 
and  SAFEST 

Stock -Turner 

IN  THE 


Exclusively  One-Man  Car. 
Weight,  125  Pounds. 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


291 


Continuous  Bail  Joint  Comm 


OF 


182  Market  St..        Newark,  N.  J. 


The  use  of  this  Joint  will  save  5o  per  cent, 
of  cost  of  maintenance  of  way,  add  25  per  cent, 
to  the  life  of  the  rail,  and  incidentally  effect  a 
saving  of  wear  and  tear  on  wheels  and  rolling 
stock. 

In  Use  on  Thirty=seven  Roads. 


Mini  Sail  Joint  Company  of  America, 

182  MARKET  STREET,  NEWARK,  N.  J. 


292 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


l    •  SIN 


MANUFACTURED  BY 

THE  SHEFFIELD  VELOCIPEDE  CAR  COMPANY, 

THREE  RIVERS,   -   - 


ADVERTISEMENTS.  293 

THE  SHEFFIELD  HAND  CAR. 


BURLINGTON,  CEDAR  RAPIDS  AND  NORTHERN  R.  R.,  I 
SPIRIT  LAKE,  Iowa,     t 

Sheffield  Velocipede  Car  Co.,  Three  Rivers,  Mich.: 

Gentlemen— I  consider  the  Sheffield  Hand  Car  the  most  perfect  in 
every  respect  I  ever  saw,  and  far  ahead  of  any  car  I  ever  used. 

It  is  exceedingly  light  running,  and  easy  to  handle,  and  so  constructed 
it  is  very  strong  for  so  light  a  car.  The  only  objection  I  ever  heard  was 
that  it  was  too  light  a  car  to  be  durable,  but  I  claim  that  to  be  an  entire 
mistake.  We  all  know  what  a  he  ivy  lift  it  is  to  get  one  of  the  old  style, 
big,  heavy  cars  off  the  fack,  and  we  paid  little  attention  to  it;  would 
bang  it  off  almost  any  way,  injuring  the  car  more  in  that  manner  than  in 
any  other. 

Now  your  car  is  so  light  that  two  good  men  can  put  it  off  readily  and 
not  strain  the  car  in  the  least,  and  every  section  foreman  knows  that 
there  is  more  wear  and  tear  on  a  hand  car  taking  it  off  and  putting  it  on 
than  any  other  way.  Now,  if  a  man  has  a  nice  top  buggy  he  would  not 
use  it  like  he  would  a  big  wagon,  nor  should  he  use  your  car  like  he 
would  one  of  those  man-killers.  Another  thing,  when  running  he  should 
not  allow  the  men  to  jump  on  or  jerk  the  levers,  as  a  good,  steady  pull 
and  gradual  bearing  down  will  produce  more  speed.  Also,  when  run- 
ning the  dump  or  push  car  it  should  be  attached  to  hand  car,  so  that  the 
latter  will  not  keep  bumping;  up  against  the  frame,  which  is  one  of  the 
worst  strains  a  hand  car  receives.  When  it  is  set  off  it  should  be  on  level 
ground  if  possible,  but  if  not,  any  wheel  that  does  -not  have  a  bearing 
should  be  properly  blocked  up.  Oil  often,  but  only  a  few  drops  in  a 
place.  Put  5  8d  nails  in  the  5  tubes  where  you  oil  the  running  gear;  ihey 
keep  out  the  diit  and  are  easily  removed.  Give  your  car  a  thorough 
cleaning  every  spring  and  iall,  and  you  will  always  have  a  good  car  and 
one  you  can  get  there  with.  Truly  yours, 

H.  CARR,  Section  Foreman. 


The  above  speaks  for  itself.    Manufactured  only  by  the 


JXFEDEWO, 

THREE  PIVER9,  MICH. 

Hand  Cars,  Push  Cars,  Velocipede  Cars, 

Stand  Pipes,  or  Water  Columns, 

and  Cut=out  Switches. 


294 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


on  another  page  what  the  Trackmen 
say  of  the  ROADMASTER  AND 
FOREMAN,  the  American  Railway 
Track  Journal,  published  at  Chicago,  111.  It  is 
the  only  journal  devoted  exclusively  to  Mainte- 
nance of  Way  and  the  interest  of  Trackmen. 
Subscription  price,  fi.oo  per  year. 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


J 

(FRED  C.  WEIR,  President,) 

OHIO. 


MANUFACTURERS  OF  THE 


Latest  Approved  Appliances 


FOR 


TRACK. 


If  We  Have  Not  Sent  You  Our  Cata- 
logue Write  Us  for  a  Copy. 


ra  FROG  co., 


CINCI1NJVATI,    OHIO. 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


ADVERTISEMENTS.  297 


AUTOMATIC  SPEING  SWITCH  STAND. 

We  show  on  the  following  page,  cut  of  an  Automatic 
Spring  Switch  Stand,  different  in  construction  from  the 
Ramapo,  and  other  types  of  Automatic  Stands.  The  most 
noticeable  feature  in  this  automatic  stand  is  the  three  part 
clutch,  with  differerential  incline  faces.  The  weak  part  of 
Automatic  Spring  Stands  is  that  they  are  apt  to  leave  the 
point  rail  partially  open  after  a  train  has  trailed  through  the 
switch.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  spring  is  not  pow- 
erful enough  to  force  the  clutch  faces  together,  and  by  this 
means  force  the  switch  rail  up  tight  against  the  stock  rail. 
What  is  desired  then  is  a  stand  which  will  offer  compara- 
tively slight  resistance  to  the  wheel  flange  when  it  forces 
the  point  rail  open,  and  that  will  close  the  opposite  point 
tight  against  the  stock  rail  without  depending  on  the  wheels 
to  do  so,  because  the  clearance  between  the  gage  of  the 
track,  and  the  gage  of  the  wheels,  is  so  great  as  to  leave 
the  point  open  far  enough  to  be  dangerous  to  trains  running 
facing  the  point  rails.  Then  again,  the  first  wheel  which 
trails  through  should  throw  the  points  over,  and  the  stand 
hold  them  there,  the  same  as  if  the  switch  was  thrown  by 
hand,  and  the  target  of  stand  should  always  show  for 
which  track  the  switch  is  set,  whether  thrown  by  trailing 
train  or  by  hand.  This  stand  meets  all  the  requirements 
above  enumerated,  and  whether  padlocked  or  not  a  trailing 
train  will  throw  the  switch  points,  and  show  the  proper 
target  for  track.  A  low  yard  stand  on  the  same  plan,  is 
also  made  by  this  firm. 

This  stand  may  be  used  either  on  one  or  two  ties  as  pre- 
ferred, and  can  be  fitted  with  long  target  shaft  and  ladder, 
so  that  targets  can  be  seen  above  the  tops  of  freight  cars  or 
around  curves. 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


300  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 


THEEE-THEOW  SPLIT  SWITCH. 

We  show  on  preceding  page,  illustration  of  a  simple  and 
effective  arrangement  of  the  Three  Throw  Split  Switch.  To 
make  this  device  satisfactory,  it  should  be  as  near  the  single 
split  switch  in  all  its  parts  as  it  is  possible  to  be,  and  the 
arrangement  of  the  different  parts  as  here  shown,  comes 
nearer  to  this  than  any  we  have  seen.  It  will  be  noticed 
that  the  points  hug  the  stock  rail  and  the  point  rails  as 
snugly  as  those  of  the  single  split  switches  do,  and  the  tie  or 
bridal  bars  are  placed  so  that  they  are  below  the  edge  of 
the  ties,  for  in  case  of  broken  brake  beams,  or  other  disar- 
ranged parts  of  cars  that  there  may  be,  are  more  apt  to 
strike  the  ties  and  be  carried  over  the  bars  without  tearing 
them  out,  or  disarranging  them.  In  the  connecting  of  these 
bars  there  is  no  crossing  over  or  under,  each  bar  is  parallel 
to  the  other,  and  the  fastenings  or  lugs  being  made  of  steel 
and  die  formed,  the  whole  bar  and  fastening  has  all  the 
solidity,  without  the  danger  of  a  poor  weld  that  a  forged  bar 
has.  By  the  use  of  turn-buckles  in  the  connecting  i  ods,  the 
points  can  always  be  kept  adjusted,  and  to  proper  throw. 
This  device  is  operated  by  a  low  three  throw  ground  stand 
(and  is  the  only  device  of  this  kind  so  operated)  a  most  de- 
sirable feature  for  three  throw  split  switches,  when  it  is 
taken  into  consideration  that  these  devices  are  used  only  in 
yards,  where  it  is  most  generally  the  case,  a  want  of  room 
exists,  and  where  a  high  stand  frequently  cannot  well  be 
used  owing  to  the  crowded  condition  of  tracks;  besides  the 
use  of  a  low  stand  in  connection  with  three  throw  switches, 
gives  the  switchmen  clearer  room  to  switch  the  cars.  The 
target  on  this  stand  can  be  arranged  to  throw  for  both  turn- 
outs on  the  same  side  of  the  main  line.  These  switches  are 
in  use  in  some  of  the  most  busy  yards  in  the  country,  and 
meet  with  the  praise  of  switchmen  who  have  occasion  to  use 
them,  as  the  simplest  and  best  of  its  kind. 


ADVERTISEMENTS.  301 


3 


Lhnaro?evderbye:nth':  TRACKMAN 


Switch  Layouts  and  Curve  Easements, 

By  A.  TORREY,  Prin.  Asst.  Eng.  Mich.  Cent.  R.  R.  112  diagrams, 
showing  graphically,  and  by  figures,  the  leads,  off-sets  and  all  di- 
mensions for  laying  out  switches  for  frogs  of  all  numbers  and  for  all 
combinations  in  common  use,  for  both  split  and  stub  switches.  The 
second  part  of  the  manual  (Curve  Easements)  gives  exact  and  easily 
used  inductions  and  data  for  easing  transitions  from  tangent  to 
curve,  or  between  curves  of  different  radii.  No  similar  publication 
has  ever  before  been  made.  It  is  a  practical  and  necessary  manual 
for  trackmen.  Price,  $1.00. 

The  Roadmaster's  Assistant, 

By  WM.  S.  HUNTINGTON.  Revised  by  CHAS.  LATIMKR.  A  man- 
ual of  reference  for  all  having  to  do  with  the  permanent  way  of  Amer- 
ican Railroads.  This  book  will  help  the  section  man  and  roadmas- 
ter  to  do  better  work.  Price,  $1.50- 

Scales  for  Turnouts, 

By  E.  A.  GIESKLKR.  Gives  graphically  the  frog  numbers,  length 
of  lead  and  degree  of  curvature  for  turnouts  from  3°  to  42°  30 '.  Stiff 
card-board,  pocket  size.  More  convenient  and  certain  than  tables. 
Price,  with  full  directions  for  use,  25  cents. 


The  Railroad  Gazette 

33    Park   I»lace,    1VEW    YORK!. 


If  you  want  to  keep  posted  on  the  best  practice  in  Permanent  Way,  read 

THE  RAILROAD  GAZETTE. 

Each  issue  contains  something  practical  about  Roadway  that  will  inter- 
est and  instruct  a  trackman.  It  will  tell  you  what  other  Railroads  are 
doing  to  improve  their  track.  Published  weekly  at  32  Park  Place,  New 
York.  Send  for  Sample  Copy. 


302  THE  TBACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

TUDOR 

IRON  WORKS. 


ST.  LOUIS,  MO. 


-Manufacturers  of- 


TrackFastenings 


Bolts  and  Splices. 


ADVERTISEMENTS.  803 


PRACTICAL,  SWITCH  WORK. 

PKICE  $1.00,  PREPAID. 

Among  the  prominent  topics  treated  may  be  mentioned: 
General  Turn-outs;  the  Theory  of  Leads,  with  tables  for 
Frogs  and  Gages;  Stub  and  Split  Switches,  how  they  are  put 
in  and  lined  up;  analysis  of  curves  for  different  Frogs  and 
Guard  Rails,  and  methods  of  adjusting  them  properly;  also 
Cross-Over  Tracks,  Split-Switch  Crossings, Split  Point  Frogs; 
Length  of  Lead  Rails,  adjustment  of  Stock  Rails,  Switch 
Stands,  Switch  Rods,  Head  Chairs,  Length  of  Switch  Tim- 
bers, etc.,  etc. 

^~  WHAT  TRACKMEN  SAY  OF  "PRACTICAL  SWITCH  WORK":  .^ 

I  like  "Practical  Switch  Work"  very  much,  and  think 
it  is  the  best  book  of  the  kind  ever  published.  It  ought  to 
be  in  the  hands  of  all  trackmen. — J.  H.  CONLAN,  Ass't.  R. 
M.,  G.  N.  Ry 

Lovell's  "Practical  Switch  Work"  is  a  handy,  practical 
work.— L.  C.  HOWES,  R.  M.,  U.  P.  Ry. 

I  cansider  it  the  best  work  of  the  kind  for  trackmen. — 
F.  S.  Bo  WEN,  Asst.  R.  M.,  G.  R.  &  I.  Ry. 

The  book  is  rightly  named.  It  should  be  in  the  hands 
of  every  trackman.— P.  W.  KELLOW,  R.  M.,  D.  &  H.  C.  Co. 

I  consider  it  of  great  value  to  trackmen. — J.  H.  CON- 
LAN,  Caldwell,  Kansas. 

I  am  well  pleased  witn  it — J.  A.  ROLAND,  R.  M., 
C.  &  N.  W.  Ry. 

After  carefully  looking  over  "Practical  Switch  Work," 
by  Superintendent  D.  H.  Lovell,  I  can  say  it  meets  with  my 
approval,  and  I  think  every  man  directly  or  indirectly 
interested  in  switch  work  would  find  it  to  his  advantage  to 
peru»e  its  pages. — J.  H.  WHITED,  Superintendent  Southern 
Pacific  Ry. 

JglT     SENT  PREPAID  TO  ANY  ADDRESS  ON  RECEIPT  OF  PRICK.      _^ 

ADDRESS,  ROADMASTER  AND  FOREMAN, 

91    AND   93    JEFFERSON   STREET,    CHICAGO,    ILL. 


304  THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPER. 

What  Trackmen  Say  of  The  Roadmaster  and  Foreman. 


w  my  subscription  for  your 
ive  been  reading  your  paper, 
I  would  not  do  without  it  for 


COLORADO  MIDLAND  RAILWAY. 

"Inclosed  you  will  find  fl,  for  which  please  renew  my  subscri 
valuable  paper.    This  makes  the  fifth  year  that  I  hav    ' 
and  I  must  say  that  I  like  it  better  every  year  and  i 

twice  its  price.  It  does  me  good  to  read  the  many  letters  of  the  different  fore- 
men, and  I  have  learned  a  great  deal  out  of  the  paper  in  regard  to  my  work. 
There  are  some  things  in  the  journal  I  do  not  fully  understand,  but  a  great  many 
things  I  do,  and  that  repays  me  many  fold."— V.  McClellan,  Roadway  Foreman. 

RICHMOND  AND  DANVILLE   RAILWAY. 

"Our  highly  esteemed  Roadmaster,  Mr.  James  Hartigan.  first  introduced  your 
valuable  journal  to  me.  to  which  I  subscribed  through  him.  I  have  secured  two 
numbers,  February  and  March,  and  am  highly  pleased  with  it  and  would  not  be 
without  it.  You  can  count  on  me  as  a  subscriber  as  long  as  I  remain  in  track 
service.  I  also  think  every  section  foreman  should  subscribe  for  it.  I  think  it 
is  both  interesting  and  instructive,  therefore  every  foreman  should  have  it."— 
W.  L.  Smoke,  Section  Foreman. 

MISSOURI  PACIFIC  RAILWAY. 

*  Inclosed  please  find  express  money  order  for  ?l  for  THE  ROADMASTER  AND 
FOREMAN  another  year,  as  I  see  my  time  is  out.  and  I  do  not  want  to  miss  one 
number.  No  trackman  should  be  without  it."— W.  W  Me  Williams,  Sec.  Foreman. 

FT.  8.,  W.  A  W.   RAILWAY. 

"I  have  been  a  subscriber  to  THE  ROADMASTER  AND  FOREMAN  one  year,  and 
am  highly  pleased  with  the  journal.  I  think  it  should  be  in  the  hands  of  every 
trackman.  Am  especially  pleased  with  the  artn-1.  s  written  by  the  different  sec- 
tion foremen,  and  would  like  to  see  more  of  them  written."— Alfred  Morris. 

"  I  have  been  reading  your  valuab  e  journal  for  seven  years  and  as  long  as  I 
remain  in  track  service  I  shall  take  it.'W.  H.  Lair,  Section  Foreman. 

FROM  A  SECTION  FOREMAN  IN  SOUTH   AFRICA. 

J.  Gardner,  of  Johannesburg,  Transvaal,  South  African  Republic,  South 
Africa,  writes  as  follows :  "Inclosed  you  will  find  postoffice  order  for  which 
please  accept  subscription  for  Mr.  G.  Robinson  and  myself— one  copy  for  each  of 
us— for  two  years,  ending  l)i  rriiih.r.  IMC).  *  *  *  The  tact  of  our  renewing  our 
subscriptions  for  two  years,  also  the  fact  that  our  engineer,  Mr.  Kerman,  having 
subscribed  for  two  copies  for  two  years,  is  ample  proof  that  your  very  valuable 
paper  is  highly  appreciated  in  South  Africa." 

FROM  A  SOUTHERN   HOADMA8TEB. 

"I  notice  in  the  proceedings  of  the  New  England  Roadmasfers' Association 
of  1893  that  THE  ROADMASTEK  AND  FOREMAN  was  indorsed  as  a  paper  devoted 
entirely  to  the  Maintenance  of  Way  Department  and  the  general  advancement 
and  welfare  of  Trackmen,  and  as  the  official  organ  of  that  association  The 
American  Headmasters'  Association  at  its  convention  in  Chicago  last  year  also 
expressed  their  high  appreciation  of  the  valuable  work  done  by  I  HE  ROADMAS- 
TEB AND  FOREMAN  to  improve  the  track  service,  and  as  I  heard  one  roadnu.hter 
say:  'We  should  lend  our  aid  to  the  upbuilding  of  this  paper  and  the  subse- 
quent betterment  of  tlie  track  service.'  I  haye  been  a  subscriber  to  this  paper 
since  1885.  and  I  must  say  that  I  have  derived  more  real  information  about  the 
practical  details  of  track  work  than  from  any  other  source,  and  I  attribute  what 
little  success  I  have  attained  in  the  past  to  the  assistance  of  THE  ROADMASTER 
AND  FOREMAN.  There  is  no  man.  I  cure  not  who  he  may  be  or  how  well  versed 
in  the  track  service,  but  what,  if  he  will  take  the  files  oi  THE  ROADMASTER  AND 
FOREMAN  for  one  year  and  read  them  over  carefully,  will  be  benefited  more  than 
it's  subscription  price." 

EAST  TENNESSEE     VIRGINIA    A    GEORGIA  RAILWAY 

"I  am  g'ad  I  am  permitted  to  live  in  this  age  of  progress.       *       *       *       * 

My  desire  is  to  get  ont  of  the  <>  d  rut  and  make  a!l  improvements 

we  can.  as  rapicllv  as  possible,  get  the  benefit  of  all  new  ideas,  and  teach  our  boys 

so  they  will  not  have  to  teach  us  as  they  grow  up     I  would  advise  all  who  wish 

to  keep  pace  with  this  electric  age  to  subscribe  for  THE  ROADMASTEB  AND 

DENVER,  TEXAS   .V    FORT  WORTH   RAILWAY. 

"THE  ROADMASTEB  AND  FOREMAN  is  a  very  artistic  and  neat  journal,  and 
contains  much  va  uab  e  and  instructive  information,  which  can  but  prove  of 
great  value  to  all  who  peruse  its  columns.  Letters  from  different  officials  of  our 
great  railway  systems  of  this  country,  expressing  their  views  of  doing  work,  must 
Be  of  incalculable  value  to  trackmen."— J.  B.  Shea. 

Address  ROADMASTER  AND  FOREMAN,  91  -93  Jefferson  St.,  Chicago. 


ADVERTISEMENTS.  305 

LOCATION  OF  FACTORIES. 

The  name  of  the  CHICAGO,  MILWAUKEE  &  ST.  PAUL 
RAILWAY  has  long  been  identified  with  practical  measures 
for  the  general  upbuilding  of  its  territory  and  the  promo- 
tion of  its  commerce,  hence  manufactm-ers  have  an  assur- 
ance that  they  will  find  themselves  at  home  on  the  com- 
pany's lines. 

The  CHICAGO,  MILWAUKEE  &  ST.  PAUL  RAILWAY 
COMPANY  owns  and  operates  6,150  miles  (9,900  kilomet- 
ers) of  railway,  exclusive  of  second  track  or  sidings.  The 
eight  states  traversed  by  the  company,  Illinois,  Wisconsin, 
Northern  Michigan,  Iowa,  Missouri,  Minnesota,  South 
Dakota  and  North  Dakota,  possesses  in  addition  to  the 
advantages  of  raw  material  and  proximity  to  markets,  that 
which  is  the  prime  factor  in  the  industrial  success  of  a 
territory — a  people  who  form  one  live  and  thriving  com- 
munity of  business  men  in  whose  midst  it  is  safe  and  profit- 
able to  settle.  Many  towns  on  the  line  are  prepared  to 
treat  very  favorably  with  manufacturers  who  would  locate 
in  their  vicinity. 

Mines  of  coal,  iron,  copper,  lead  and  zinc,  forests  of  soft 
and  hard  wood,  quarries,  clays  of  all  kinds,  tan-bark,  flax 
and  other  raw  materials  exist  in  its  territory  in  addition  to 
the  vast  agricultural  resources. 

A  number  of  new  factories  have  been  induced  to  locate — 
largely  through  the  instrumentality  of  this  company — at 
towns  on  its  lines.  The  central  position  of  the  states  trav- 
ersed by  the  CHICAGO,  MILWAUKEE  &  ST.  PAUL  RAIL- 
WAY, makes  it  possible  to  command  all  the  markets  of  the 
United  States.  The  trend  of  manufacturing  is  Westward. 
Nothing  should  delay  enterprising  manufacturers  from 
investigating.  Confidential  inqunes  are  treated  as  such. 
The  information  furnished  a  particular  industry  is  reliable. 
Adddress,  Louis  JACKSON, 

Industrial  Com'r.,  C.,  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R., 

425  Old  Colony  BPd.,  Chicago,  111. 


306 


THE  TRACKMAN'S  HELPRE. 


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